Financial documents, read at a glance
Welcome to Information Design Unit. Part of Enterprise IG, we make financial documents clear for the people who rely on them.
Why financial documents need design
A set of accounts is often read by people who did not prepare it. Investors, auditors, regulators and staff each look for something different, and a page that hides the figure they need costs them time.
Our work starts with the question each reader brings to the document. We then arrange totals, notes and dates so that the answer sits where the eye expects it to be.
Annual accounts set out with one figure per line, so a reader can follow each total back to its source without a calculator.
Designing for accuracy
Clarity and precision support each other. A table that is easy to scan is also easier to check, so we treat layout as part of the control process.
- Totals aligned to a consistent decimal column
- Units and currency stated beside every heading
- Notes numbered and placed next to the lines they explain
- Dates written in one format throughout the document
Column headings repeat on every page of a long schedule, so a reader who turns to page nine still knows what each number means.
Review copies are marked up by finance, legal and communications together, and the final layout keeps the changes they agreed.
Keeping a document honest
A financial document is a promise about the numbers behind it. Design should never make a figure look stronger or weaker than the data allows.
Every figure should be traceable to its source. If a chart simplifies the data, the note beneath it must say what was left out.
Summary pages for interim reports are kept to one screen or one sheet, with the detailed schedules available behind them.
Next steps
Bills and statements follow the same principles for everyday accounts, and you can read about them on our bills page. If you are preparing a financial document now, our contact page is the place to start a conversation.