Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
LessMore
Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology
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.
Mistakes
- Failure modes 1 — a one-off story that needs a custom visual, or an ad that must shout
- Failure modes 2 — 3-D pies and perspective bars
- Failure modes 3 — Dual axes that fake a correlation
- Failure modes 4 — Truncated axes that shout a small delta
- Failure modes 5 — Legend only, no direct labels
- Failure modes 6 — Missing source, unit or period
Fixes
- Fixes 1 — Return to recurring reviews, budget bridges, headcount, pipeline.
- Fixes 2 — Flat, one axis, direct labels.
- Fixes 3 — Color-blind-safe palette plus pattern.
- Fixes 4 — Rewrite the title as a claim and add a source line.
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.