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Quick answers
When should I pick Work reports?
When the story is: recurring reviews, budget bridges, headcount, pipeline.
When should I avoid Work reports?
Skip it in cases like: a one-off story that needs a custom visual, or an ad that must shout.
Who invented or popularised it?
Corporate reporting culture after DuPont charts and 20th-c. board packs
What does it encode?
a small set of honest encodings repeated every cycle
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.
Work reports encodes values as a small set of honest encodings repeated every cycle. Corporate reporting culture after DuPont charts and 20th-c. board packs.
In reports, ads and assignments it fits recurring reviews, budget bridges, headcount, pipeline. Skip it when a one-off story that needs a custom visual, or an ad that must shout.
Parts
- Mark — The core mark of Work reports is a small set of honest encodings repeated every cycle.
- Scale — The scale must show zero (or a declared break) and units.
- Axis — Axis titles name the variable, not a mood.
- Legend — A legend is weaker than a direct label. Write beside the mark when you can.
- Label — Numbers are optional. If comparison is the job, label the ends only.
- Grid — Keep the grid faint. Data should own the ink.
- Annotation — One annotation sentence. Date the source.
- Frame — A thin frame. Never a 3-D box.
Variants
- QBR pack — Variant 1 of Work reports (QBR pack). Same encoding, different layout.
- Ops review — Variant 2 of Work reports (Ops review). Same encoding, different layout.
- KPI memo — Variant 3 of Work reports (KPI memo). Same encoding, different layout.
- Work reports 4 — Variant 4 of Work reports (Work reports 4). Same encoding, different layout.
Labels
- Axis — On Work reports, make Mark readable.
- Legend — On Work reports, make Scale readable.
- Label — On Work reports, make Axis readable.
- Grid — On Work reports, make Legend readable.
- Annotation — On Work reports, make Label readable.
Work reports: honour a small set of honest encodings repeated every cycle, and switch when a one-off story that needs a custom visual, or an ad that must shout.