If you’ve described your report’s primary objective, use that description to begin your first draft. If not, write a one-sentence statement answering the following question:
What is the story of your report?
Next, draft an outline or a table of contents. This information will guide you as you create your report. Finally, write a one-sentence statement for each main page of the report. What message do you want to convey on each page? While considering the content, remember to group similar items together. Always keep your audience and your story in mind.
Sketch on Paper
Sketch the main point of your story. Creating a paper sketch enables you to visualize your story without being distracted by the software. Your main point might need two or three pages.
Copy your one-sentence statement at the top of each piece of sketch paper. Consider which data items you want to use to illustrate your story, and then draw placeholder boxes for them. For each page, draft a layout that shows where every box will go. Be sure to include any interactions. If you want one object to filter another, draw an arrow between them.
Select the Visualizations
Once you’ve determined the boxes you need on each page, select a type of chart or table for each box.
Select different types to see which best communicates your main point.
After you sketch the pages that communicate the main point of your story, sketch the supporting pages and the concluding page. Go back and review them all, start to finish. If an introductory page is needed, sketch it now.
Build Your First Draft
Create the report on the computer. If you don’t like it, change things around, as but don’t make too many changes. Your goal in this step is to get the content in the report, not to make it perfect.
Do not spend a lot of time on the details. Focus on the big picture, the main point. Knowing the work is not final should help free your mind, allowing you to be more creative. Once the first draft is done, take a break.
Revise Your Draft
Check the flow of the report and make sure your story makes sense. Consider whether the visualizations you’ve selected are the best fit. Review interactions, revising them if they aren’t completely clear. Don’t forget to review the text in your report. Check for spelling mistakes and typos.
Request Feedback
Ask others to review your report before publishing it. Have someone read it and try to answer some basic questions, such as:
What’s the main point of the report?
What is the story?
If you cannot get feedback from your actual audience, find people similar to the members of your target audience.
Iterate
Assess the feedback. If possible, schedule a meeting with the reviewers, the team responsible for the report, and any supervisors. Discuss and make changes. Repeat gathering feedback and iterating as necessary.
