From the course: Excel Spreadsheet Design: Extreme Makeover

Keeping your audience in mind - Microsoft Excel Tutorial

From the course: Excel Spreadsheet Design: Extreme Makeover

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Keeping your audience in mind

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- [Instructor] So who's your audience? Many years ago, I was developing a performance report, and in the spirit of collaboration, I decided to share my work with a colleague and she asked me this very question. Now, being young and rather sure of myself, I replied Coachella? My colleague smirked and said, "No, seriously. Who's this report going to?" I had no idea. I mean, the report was due by my manager at the end of the week but I was pretty sure my colleague was referring to something else. When it comes to spreadsheet design, knowing your audience is the most important starting point. So what is an audience exactly? Your audience are the consumers of your spreadsheet, the folks who are going to well, hopefully, take action, using your work. Because of this, their engagement and feedback matters more than anyone else's. Now, in some respects, this part of the journey is easier for rockstars, and no, I'm being serious, so hear me out. Yes, rockstars need to know how to perform but their brand is usually a known quantity, and the audience are drawn to their work. With spreadsheets, it's a little bit different. I might add, they can be just as entertaining as a rock concert but things usually work in reverse. It is you who has to actively take the time to read your audiences. "So how do you navigate all this?" you might be wondering. There's no need to overcomplicate things. Start by taking the time to meet with your audiences to discover their needs. Are they short summary folk or do they prefer lots of detail? Send early versions or drafts of your work before you invest too much time in your final product. Be flexible and agile. Things might need to change and that's okay. With just a little bit of prep, this is actually quite easy. Hopefully, you haven't dropped the mic just yet. This is going to be fun, so stick with me on this journey.

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