4 tips to make your Presentations, Dashboards, and Reports AWESOME (in 5 minutes or less)

[all.the.work.things]
4 Tips to Make Your
Presentations, Dashboards and Reports
 AWESOME 
(in 5 minutes or less)

How do you know if your visual is…
Effective?
Communicating your message?
…any good?
It’s Simple Actually…

(Hi, my name is
Rich.)

(Hi, my name is
Rich.)
If you like this, please share it! More things I wrote

What does this mean? (Why should anyone care?)
0
50
100
150
200
250
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Demand
Capacity

Summarize your message (one sentence)
Put it at the top of your report or data visualization
0
50
100
150
200
250
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Demand
Capacity
WE NEED TO BUILD MORE CAPACITY BY 2019!

Summarize your message (one sentence)
Put it at the top of your report or data visualization
0
50
100
150
200
250
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Demand
Capacity
WE NEED TO BUILD MORE CAPACITY BY 2019!
NOW: You’ve set the frame for anyone who sees your report!
(even if you’re not in the room) (because you may not be)

Using 3D charts is
great if you want to:
Waste space
Distort reality
Distract people
(check out a 3D Pie Chart)

Vs.2D
There are 4 data points.

Vs.2D
7 Colors?
There are 4 data points.
4 Colors.
MATH: 7 ≠ 4

Vs. 2D
T w i c e t h e S p a c e for the Same Information

Vs. 2D
T w i c e t h e S p a c e for the Same Information
(because you probably have extra space you’re not using)
(…in opposite world)

Here’s the #1 Reason why 3D things are BAD

Vs. 2D
These are all 25%.
25%
25%25%
25%

Vs. 2D
THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT SIZES!
25%
25%25%
25%
These are all 25%.
(that’s not confusing at all.)

Vs. 2D
(…in opposite world)
25%
25%25%
25%
(that’s not confusing at all.)
THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT SIZES!
These are all 25%.

Vs. 2D
3D stuff. You may be tempted.

Vs. 2D
3D stuff. You may be tempted.
DON’T DO IT.

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3 Easy Points To Remember.

Point 1:
Reserve Green, Yellow, Red for STATUS

Point 1:
Reserve Green, Yellow, Red for STATUS
[red] = stop | bad
[yellow] = pause | caution
[green] = go | good
(you can’t always do this, but it’s good to do when you can)

Point 2: Use Color Consistently
US
Canada
South America
Central America
US
Germany
France
Italy
Market: US vs N. Amer. Market: US vs Europe
Do these look ok to you?

US
Canada
South America
Central America
US
Germany
France
Italy
Do these look ok to you?
(HINT: No. They don’t look ok to you)

US
Canada
South America
Central America
US
Germany
France
Italy
Different Colors for the Same Variable

US
Canada
South America
Central America
US
Germany
France
Italy
Different Colors for the Same Variable
Identical Colors for Different Variables
IDEA: Use the same colors for the same things!

US
Canada
South America
Central America
US
Germany
France
Italy
AHHHHHHH much better.

US
Canada
South America
Central America
US
Germany
France
Italy
AHHHHHHH much better.
(consistent pie charts are happy pie charts)

Point 3: Beware Colorblindness!
If 3 white men review your report…

There’s a 22% chance at least one of them is colorblind!

There’s a 22% chance at least one of them is colorblind!
Use this handy chart to
design to avoid
confusion.
[click here for the source]

The right chart makes sure your message gets transmitted

You Want To Show:
Square Area to Fill?
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Percentages of a Whole (a breakdown).
Use a Pie Chart.
(the most
delicious
of all
charts)
Linear Area to Fill?
Use a 100% Stacked Bar.

You Want To Show:
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Use a Pie Chart.
(the most
delicious
of all
charts)
Examples: “X broken down by “Y”.
• Revenue Broken down by Region.
• Hours worked broken down by project.
• Donuts consumed broken down by family member.

You Want To Show:
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Examples: “X broken down by “Y”.
• Revenue Broken down by Region.
• Hours worked broken down by project.
• Donuts consumed broken down by family member.
Use a Pie Chart.
(the most
delicious
of all
charts)
(I win the last one)
Rich
Everyone Else

You Want To Show:
How something compares to a single measure.
Use a Bar Chart.
0 20 40 60 80 100
Thing 1
Thing 2
Thing 3
Thing 4

You Want To Show:
How something compares to a single measure.
Use a Bar Chart. But make sure to sort it in
some logical way.
This makes your message
clearer.
0 20 40 60 80 100
Thing 2
Thing 1
Thing 4
Thing 3

You Want To Show:
How something compares to 2 different measures.
Use a Scatter Plot.
0
2
4
6
8
10
0 2 4 6 8 10

You Want To Show:
Use a Scatter Plot.
0
2
4
6
8
10
0 2 4 6 8 10
Example: Choosing a Project.
(1) Is this project EASY TO DO?
(2) Is this project WORTH DOING?
hard easy
nope
yep

You Want To Show:
Use a Scatter Plot.
0
2
4
6
8
10
0 2 4 6 8 10
Example: Choosing a Project.
(1) Is this project EASY TO DO?
(2) Is this project WORTH DOING?
…plot a bunch of projects and
you can quickly see things that
are both EASY and WORTH DOING
(let’s do those things!)hard easy
nope
yep

You Want To Show:
The Status of Something (On Track, At Risk, etc.)

You Want To Show:
Is the Scale Obvious?
Use a Status Light.
Project Status
Build Things
Ship Things
Profit
(we need more donuts)

You Want To Show:
Is the Scale Obvious? Is the Scale Unknown?
Use a Status Light. Use a Status Scale.
Project Status
Build Things
Ship Things
Profit
Indicator Great! Ok. BAD
Who
Cares
Donut
Demand
Donut
Inventory
Broccoli
Inventory

You Want To Show:
Is the Scale Obvious? Is the Scale Unknown?
Use a Status Light. Use a Status Scale.
Project Status
Build Things
Ship Things
Profit
Indicator Great! Ok. BAD
Who
Cares
Donut
Demand
Donut
Inventory
Broccoli
Inventory
(we need more donuts)

In Conclusion...
Communicating Data Requires Thinking.

In Conclusion...
The more Thinking YOU Do...

In Conclusion...
The more Thinking YOU Do... The less you burden your
Audience.

In Conclusion...
The more Thinking YOU Do... The less you burden your
Audience.
That’s goodness! Let’s try to do that.

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4 tips to make your Presentations, Dashboards, and Reports AWESOME (in 5 minutes or less)

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4 tips to make your Presentations, Dashboards, and Reports AWESOME (in 5 minutes or less)