8. Reporting on Results /

8.3 Using visual reporting styles

STANDARD:

We present our results in an engaging, visual way.

To meet the standard in full, you present information visually where possible and appropriate to do so. This helps to communicate your findings clearly and in a way that is easy for others to grasp. This might include the use of charts, infographics, illustrations or images.

In these days of information overload, it is especially important to find better, simpler and clearer ways to communicate your impact evidence.

Visual forms of communication can grab an audience’s attention, while saving you a lot of time writing lengthy reports crammed with data.

There are many forms of visual communication to consider, all of which are useful in different ways:

  • Introduce simple, uncluttered images to tell the story of your beneficiaries, convey meaning, and move your audience.
  • Turn to high quality illustrations to grab attention, explain tough concepts, and get across key messages.
  • Use infographics to make complex information more accessible, and turn data into a form that can be readily shared online.
  • Use a data dashboard to collapse large amounts of data into interactive charts, infographics and maps.

Graphic representations such as diagrams, charts, tables, illustrations and photographs not only catch the eye but draw the viewer into the information being presented.

Course 8 in the Impact Practice series from the Social Enterprise Institute explores the main forms of visual communication, their advantages and disadvantages, as well as best practice examples.