01
Charts that answer the question
Start with the audience and decision, then choose a simple chart that makes the answer easy to see.
Camderson Academy · CA-TD-003
Show your numbers so people understand and act.
A practical, self-paced course for anyone who shares data at work. Learn to choose the right chart, draw it honestly, make it readable for everyone, write the story around it and keep your reports and dashboards fresh.
About 6 hours · 12 lessons · Intermediate · Works with any tool · Self-paced · Tools you keep
Make every chart and report easy to understand.
02
Honest, accessible design
Axes, color, labels and sources that readers can trust and every reader can use.
03
Reports and dashboards that last
One-page reports, tested dashboards and a simple routine of owners, updates and change notes.
Learning outcomes
What you will be able to do
Practical outcomes, each practiced in an exercise and checked in the final assessment or the capstone.
- Plan a report around its audience, question and decision.
- Choose a simple chart that fits the question and data.
- Draw honest, clear and accessible charts with careful axes, color, labels and sources.
- Write titles, annotations and claims that match the evidence.
- Combine charts into a one-page report in plain words.
- Plan, test, maintain and retire dashboards and reports.
Your toolkit
Simple tools for every report
Report Brief
Audience · Question · Decision · Cut
Start with the reader's decision.
Data Check
Six questions · Fix · Label · Dictionary
Trust the data before charting it.
Chart Chooser
Question · Type · Chart · Test
Match question to chart.
Honest Axis Check
Zero · Dual axes · Labels · Points
Axes and percentages that tell the truth.
Color and Contrast Check
Gray test · Second clue · Pairs · Contrast
Charts every reader can use.
Declutter Pass
Notice · Remove · Label · Cite
Remove what does not help.
Claim Check
Claim · Ladder · Other causes · Rewrite
Match words to evidence.
Story Title Sheet
Takeaway · Title · Subtitle · Note
Titles and notes that tell the point.
One-Page Report
Headline · Evidence · Meaning · Next step
A report people finish.
Dashboard Plan
Users · Grid · Measures · Update
Decide whether and what to build.
Accessibility and Test Log
Tasks · Watch · Record · Fix
Test and fix before sharing.
Reporting Routine
List · Rhythm · Change log · Retire
Keep reports fresh and owned.
Plan. Check. Draw. Tell. Keep.
Curriculum
Inside the course
4 modules, 12 lessons with worked examples
01
Start With the Reader
Plan around the decision, trust your data and choose a chart that fits.
02
Draw It Honestly
Axes, color, contrast, labels and sources that every reader can trust.
03
Tell the Story
Claims, titles, annotations and a one-page report in plain words.
04
Dashboards That Last
Plan, test, maintain and retire dashboards and reports.
What is included
Skills, tools and templates you keep and use in your work
- 12 lessons, each with a written lesson, worked examples and figures, at your own pace
- A short stand-alone example in every lesson, drawn from many kinds of workplaces
- A fillable Workbook with Try it and Reflect pages for every lesson
- Reporting Templates (Word) for every teaching tool
- A practice tracker with live formulas, a solutions version and a reusable template
- Quick Reference Cards and the Practice Examples
- An optional visual companion PDF with every lesson figure
- Knowledge checks for every module and a 20-question final assessment
- A capstone you can build for your own team or from practice scenarios, with a rubric you use to check your own work
- Access to the Camderson Academy community
- A Camderson Academy Certificate of Completion when you pass the final assessment and the capstone
Is this course right for you?
This course is for you if
- You share numbers with others at work
- You want charts that are clear, honest and easy to read
- You want a routine to keep reports and dashboards fresh
It is not the right fit if
- You need training in one specific charting or dashboard program
- You want advanced statistics or data engineering
- You need legal advice on accessibility compliance
- You want a course to tell you what accessibility or reporting rules require where you work
Your instructor
Meet your instructor
Taught by Camderson Advisory
A consulting firm for practical workplace skills
Your instructor is Camderson Advisory, a consulting firm that helps organizations build practical skills for the people who do the work. In this course, your instructor helps you show your numbers so that the people who read them can understand and act.
About
About Camderson Academy
Camderson Academy is the education division of Camderson Advisory Services. Camderson helps leaders build organizations that work without them in the room. Everything we teach has been used in a real organization first.
Training a team?
We offer group enrollment for teams and whole organizations that want everyone, in every role and department, to build the same skills. Email connect@camderson.com to talk through your group.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need any experience or a previous course?
No. There is no prerequisite and no coding is needed. If you share numbers at work, you are ready.
Who is this course for?
Analysts, managers and team members in any department. The examples come from many kinds of workplaces, and the methods fit finance, operations, marketing, schools, clinics, nonprofits and service businesses of every size.
How long do I have access?
Your access does not expire. We review the course on a regular cycle, and any updates are added for you at no extra cost.
How long does it take?
About 6 hours in total, including the written lessons, the Try it exercises, the knowledge checks, the final assessment and the capstone. Everything is self-paced.
Questions about your purchase?
Email support through academy.camderson.com.
What tools do I need?
A spreadsheet program that opens .xlsx files (Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Apple Numbers or LibreOffice Calc), a word processor that opens .docx files and a PDF reader. All templates and practice files are included as downloads.
Do I have to use my own data for the capstone?
No. You can build your pack from the practice scenarios in the Capstone Practice Brief included in the course. If you use your own data, use rounded numbers and leave out anything confidential or personal.
Does the course recommend products or give professional advice?
No. It works with any spreadsheet, presentation or dashboard program and names no product as the one to use. It does not give legal, accounting or accessibility-compliance advice; where a lesson touches accessibility or reporting formats, it points you to your own counsel or specialist with a list of questions. Camderson Academy is not affiliated with any software vendor.
What does the certificate confirm?
You receive a Camderson Academy Certificate of Completion after passing the final assessment and completing the capstone. This certificate confirms completion of a Camderson Academy course.
How was this course written and checked?
This course was written and edited by Camderson Advisory. Sources are listed with the date each was read. Where a source could not be opened on that date, the Sources page says so. This course teaches skills for everyday work. It is not legal, tax, financial, medical or professional advice. Laws and rules vary by place and change over time, so talk with your own attorney or qualified professional about your situation. Last updated: November 2026. Next planned review: November 2027.
Show your numbers so people understand and act.
Self-paced, about 6 hours, with a Workbook, templates, Quick Reference Cards and a practice tracker.
This course earns a Camderson Academy Certificate of Completion. This certificate confirms completion of a Camderson Academy course. This course is general education about turning business data into clear charts, tables, reports and dashboards. It is not legal, accounting, statistical-consulting or accessibility-compliance advice. Rules about accessibility, reporting formats and records differ by place, industry and organization, and they change, so before you act on a real situation talk with your own attorney or qualified professional. It is not about any one software product: spreadsheet, presentation and dashboard programs are named only as examples where a source does, and the methods work in whichever program you use. Guidance from the public sources cited is described as it was when checked, and organizations update it. Examples, numbers and organizations are fictional or illustrative. Camderson Academy is not affiliated with any software vendor and does not endorse any product.