SAY: Convey a message Do you have something to report? Often reports are merely a collection of data with no discernible message for the audience. This is also the case for most presentations.

UNIFY: Apply semantic notation Things which are the same should look the same and things that are different should not look the same. Unambiguous design rules facilitate production and comprehension.

CONDENSE: Increase information density A high level of information density makes it possible to display complex facts. Only an overview of the entire picture permits correct evaluation of detailed information.

CHECK: Ensure visual integrity The recipients of a report expect the data in it to be accurate. But are the correct data also presented accurately? Manipulated charts are a matter of fact in business communication.

EXPRESS: Choose proper visualization Good visualization starts with the selection of those diagrams and tables, which convey the desired message along with the underlying facts as quickly as possible.

SIMPLIFY: Avoid clutter SIMPLIFY facilitates the readability of charts and tables. Eliminating ‘Noise’ and ‘Redundancy’ frees objects in a report from avoidable background noise.

STRUCTURE: Organize content Reports and presentations have, in many cases, no logical structure. When things overlap and are incomplete, they make it hard to understand business communication.