Why this matters
When a manager opens your report, you have a few seconds before they decide whether it is useful. A clear page guides their eyes to the answer. A crowded one makes them hunt, and they give up. Good design is not decoration; it is what turns your analysis into a decision. Microsoft's Data Analyst certification includes visualising data, and employers judge your portfolio on it.
Layout: most important first
Most readers scan a page from the top left, across, then down. So:
- Put the key numbers (on cards) along the top, most important on the left.
- Put the main chart that explains those numbers below them.
- Put detail, such as a table, lower down or on a second page.
- Put slicers (filters) in one consistent place, such as a strip along the top or the left, on every page.
Give the page a title that says what it is for, and show the last refreshed date in a small text box or card.
Fewer visuals, each with a job
Keep each page to a handful of visuals. For every visual, ask: "What question does this answer?" If you cannot say, remove it. Use the chart rules from the Excel section: bars for comparing, lines for trends, tables for exact lookups, message titles, zero baselines and no 3D.