Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
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Quick answers
When should I pick Quarterly report visuals?
When the story is: managers, founders, student club treasurers.
When should I avoid Quarterly report visuals?
Skip it in cases like: stuffing every KPI onto one slide for fear of omission.
Who invented or popularised it?
Consulting waterfall culture meets open chart libraries
What does it encode?
bridge + trend + callout stack with a shared palette
Is it OK in ads?
Yes if one claim is visible at a glance in Meta, Google and retail print; otherwise link to a full figure.
Will a teacher accept it?
Yes for lab reports and poster boards if axes, units and a source line are present.
Quarterly report visuals encodes values as bridge + trend + callout stack with a shared palette. Consulting waterfall culture meets open chart libraries.
In reports, ads and assignments it fits managers, founders, student club treasurers. Skip it when stuffing every KPI onto one slide for fear of omission.
Rules
- Rules 1 — Use bridge + trend + callout stack with a shared palette as one channel, not two.
- Rules 2 — Direct labels beat a distant legend.
- Rules 3 — Do not hide zero. If you break the axis, say so.
- Rules 4 — Colour encodes category or magnitude, not both.
- Rules 5 — Put the claim in the title, not just "Quarterly report visuals".
- Rules 6 — Source and period, even in small type.
Palette
- Palette 1 — Categories: distinct hues. Sequences: one hue, changing value.
- Palette 2 — Diverging: a neutral centre, emphasis at both ends.
- Palette 3 — One brand colour plus greys beats a rainbow.
- Palette 4 — Check contrast on a projector and in greyscale print.
Type
- Type 1 — Tabular figures for numbers. Do not pour body copy into the chart.
- Type 2 — Titles as sentences; axes as short nouns.
- Type 3 — For CJK, drop weight one step and leave tracking.
Quarterly report visuals: honour bridge + trend + callout stack with a shared palette, and switch when stuffing every KPI onto one slide for fear of omission.