Like a picture, a good graph is worth a thousand words (and a bad graph can take a thousand words to clarify). Whether you’re presenting contract volume trends, outside counsel spend, or cycle times, clear and effective visuals are crucial for driving informed decision-making.  

While Microsoft Excel is the most common tool for business analytics, its default settings leave a lot to be desired. Applying a few simple design principles can elevate your graphs to a professional level. Here are my top tips for making clean, impactful graphs in Excel. 

Eliminate Clutter 

Clutter is the enemy of effective communication. Every unnecessary element in a chart increases cognitive load and distracts from the key message.  

To streamline your graphs: 

• Remove chart borders – Borders add visual noise. Unless you have a specific reason to keep them, remove them from your graph.  

• Reduce or eliminate gridlines – If your chart is well-designed, gridlines shouldn’t be needed: the story should be clear at a glance. If gridlines must be used, make them light gray so they don’t compete with the data. 

• Avoid excessive tick marks – Simplify axes by using fewer labels and removing trailing zeros (e.g., use 1K instead of 1,000). 

• Delete unnecessary legends – If a single data series is displayed, a title and direct labeling often suffice. 

Be Intentional with Color 

Color is a powerful tool but should be used sparingly and strategically. If you ever find yourself using a default color scheme, stop, and consider these design suggestions: 

• Highlight key data points – Use a single accent color to draw attention to important trends or comparisons. 

• Use grayscale for secondary elements – De-emphasize less critical components by making them gray. 

• Be mindful of colorblind accessibility – Avoid red/green combinations and opt for colorblind-friendly palettes. 

• Maintain consistency – Use the same colors for similar categories across multiple graphs to reinforce understanding. 

Use Proper Alignment and Spacing 

If you have ever looked at a graph and couldn’t put your finger on why it looked off, it was likely an issue with element alignment. A well-aligned chart improves readability and professionalism.  

Consider the following carefully when designing your graph: 

• Left-align text – Center-aligned text can look unstructured and is harder to read. 

• Create clean lines – Use Excel’s alignment tools to ensure chart titles, labels, and data points are evenly spaced. 

• Leverage white space – Avoid stretching graphs unnecessarily; maintain margins to prevent visual overload. 

Directly Label Data for Clarity 

One of the simplest ways to improve a graph is to reduce the need for extra mental exertion to understand the data’s story. To do this: 

• Label data directly – Instead of a separate legend, place labels next to the corresponding data points. 

• Use callouts sparingly – When emphasizing key takeaways, add brief annotations directly within the chart. 

• Choose readable fonts – Stick to sans-serif fonts like Arial or Calibri, and ensure labels are neither too small nor too large. 

Focus on Your Message 

Graphs should tell a story, not just display numbers. As you write your data story, remember to:  

• Sequence data logically – Order categories in a meaningful way (e.g., chronological order for trends, largest to smallest for comparisons). 

• Use data sparingly – Too many data points can obscure the message; highlight what matters most. 

Before & After 

Let’s look at these principles in action.  Below is a default chart Excel created for the number of contracts negotiated by type across the four most-recent fiscal quarters: 

At first glance, this graph looks simple and pretty, but pay attention as you look at it: where do your eyes go? Do they bounce around? Can you easily identify trends or tell what the story is? 

Now look at the chart below, which applies many of the principles discussed in this post: 

This chart has removed clutter such as the outline and gridlines; instead of a legend, it labels its data directly; and it uses a single accent color to emphasize the most recent quarter’s numbers as the focal point of the graph.  

You may notice that this graph doesn’t apply every single design suggestion—and most graphs shouldn’t! Just know the tools in your arsenal so you can make informed, intentional decisions in your design choices.  

Now It’s Your Turn 

What story is your data telling? Is it clear, concise, and compelling? Or is it more messy, muddled, and unmanageable?  

A well-designed graph in Excel can transform raw data into compelling insights. By applying a few design principles, legal operations professionals can create visuals that drive better decision-making. Thoughtful data visualization is not just about aesthetics—it’s about respect for your audience and your data. 

Join fellow higher education legal operations professionals for a candid, solutions-focused chat about navigating operations in this rapidly changing landscape. Come prepared to share your experiences and learn from others facing similar challenges. The discussion will be guided but not scripted, giving participants the flexibility to share, quite simply: what’s working and what’s not.

Join peer legal industry professionals from across Colombia and get introduced to CLOC Colombia. In this kickoff event, we want to bring together the Colombia community, introduce CLOC, and start establishing common points of contact where we can continue working together to collaborate, share insights, and elevate legal operations in Colombia.

This event will be offered in Spanish and is open to all legal professionals working in, or with an interest in legal operations. Those located in Bogota are highly encouraged to attend in person as we launch this group and work toward building our local community.

In-person attendee location: Oficinas Bancolombia, Calle 92 #10-89 Piso 10 Sala múltiple 1, Bogotá

REGISTRATION NOTE:

To register for in-person attendance, please click on the Register button above.

To register for virtual attendance, please click here.

EVENT UPDATE: Due to winter weather in the area, this event is now virtual only. Registered attendees can find the virtual access link in their event confirmation email. A social will not be held after the meeting.

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Join the CLOC New England group as they host a discussion about recent Legal Operations job market opportunities and challenges with a focus on professional development strategies for building your brand.

This is a hybrid community event with options to join in-person or attend virtually.

In-Person location: Alkermes, Inc., 900 Winter Street, Waltham, MA 02451-1420

All attendees (regardless of virtual or in-person attendance) are invited to join a post-event social starting at 5:30pm at The Local Kitchen: 99 3rd Ave #3, Waltham, MA 02451.

The post-event social is graciously supported by Priori.

In this episode of CLOC Talk, recorded live from CGI 2024 in Las Vegas, guest host Adam Becker, Director of Legal Operations at Cockroach Labs, chats with seasoned legal management and coaching professional, Natalie Loeb, Founder and CEO of LOEB Leadership.

The discussion highlights the importance of wellness in the legal profession which is critical for an industry know for high standards and a culture of perfectionism.

Adam and Natalie examine the impact of the billable hour on lawyer well-being, the challenges in seeking help, and the widespread issue of burnout.

Natalie emphasizes the importance of self-care, leadership modeling wellness practices, and the need for systemic support within organizations.

If you are looking to up your all-around work-life wellness game, this conversation is for you! Enjoy!

Meet Holly Ransom, the dynamic CEO of Emergent Global, a sought-after keynote speaker, and a master interviewer who’s all about shaking up the status quo. As the author of The Leading Edge and a true trailblazer in leadership, Holly’s work spans from boardrooms to global stages, where she brings a fresh perspective on what it means to lead with purpose and agility.

She’s tackled big conversations with some of the world’s most influential figures and is shaking up industries as co-founder of Energy Disruptors. Holly is also driving sports inclusion as a Non-executive Director at Port Adelaide Football Club and board member at Pride Cup.

Tune in to discover how Holly’s redefining leadership for today’s world. You can follow Holly on LinkedIn and Instagram, and don’t miss her Love Mondays newsletter for your weekly dose of leadership wisdom to kickstart the week!

In this episode of CLOC Talk, recorded live at CGI 2024, Jenn sits down with Sheila Dusseau and Sean Houston, Europe region leaders, to discuss their experiences and insights as part of the founding advisory council in Europe.

They delve into how legal operations in Europe differs from the U.S., focusing on resource constraints and the drive for efficient processes. Sheila and Sean highlight the necessity of strategic thinking, humility, and integrity in hiring for legal ops roles and emphasize the importance of communication, storytelling, and questioning the status quo as essential skills.

You don’t want to miss this discussion as they emphasize their commitment to advancing the legal operations field in the Europe region! Enjoy!