Use high-impact graphics to bring your financials to life
August 2, 2025
Are your company’s financial statements keeping up with how people consume information today? We live in a world that scrolls, swipes and scans. With information coming at us nonstop, most people don’t have the time — or patience — for dense financial reports.
Proactive finance and accounting teams supplement their reports with easy-to-understand, high-impact charts, graphs and dashboards. Whether you’re preparing year-end financials or monthly performance reports, the right visuals can highlight trends, simplify complex numbers and help financial statement users make better-informed business decisions.
Popular options
Examples of data visualizations that might be appropriate in financial reporting include:
Time-series line graphs. These graphs show changes in financial metrics, such as revenue and cost of sales, over time. They’re great for identifying seasonal patterns or projecting future performance based on trends.
Bar graphs. Here, data is grouped into rectangular bars in lengths proportionate to the values they represent so data can be compared and contrasted. A company might use this type of infographic to show revenue by product line or geographic region to determine what (or who) is selling the most.
Pie charts. These circular models show parts of a whole, dividing data into slices like a pizza. You might use them in financial reporting to show the composition of a company’s operating expenses for budgeting or cost-cutting projects.
Effective data graphics generally avoid unnecessary elements — such as excessive use of color, icons or text — that detract from the value of the data presentation. Ideally, each graphic should present one or two ideas, simply and concisely. The information also should be timely and relevant. Too much visual “noise” can become just as overwhelming as too much text.
Beyond financial statements
In addition to supplementing quarterly and annual financials, you might decide to create data visualizations for other financial purposes, such as:
- Obtaining bank loans or equity financing from private investors,
- Identifying value-drivers and risk factors in mergers and acquisitions,
- Presenting data to the management team for strategic decision-making, and
- Creating demonstrative exhibits for mediation or court.
Not-for-profit organizations might also use infographics to connect with donors. If effective, this outreach may encourage additional contributions for the nonprofit’s mission.
Show, don’t just tell
Financial statements are an important way for businesses to communicate with stakeholders. But they’re traditionally lengthy and text heavy. Data visualizations can help highlight key points in a fast, effective manner. Certain entities, such as nonprofits and private businesses, generally have more flexibility in how they present their financial data than public ones do. Let’s work together to design the optimal data visualizations for your situation.
© 2025
