The Golden Rules of Spreadsheet Design

Summary

This video script emphasizes the importance of thoughtful spreadsheet design to prevent errors and enhance efficiency. It outlines six golden rules: adopt and implement a standard format, ensure team competence, identify your audience, include a welcome sheet with instructions, separate data, calculations, and analysis, design for longevity, and control data input. By following these guidelines, users can create professional, error-free spreadsheets that are easy to update and understand.

Takeaways

• 😀 Adopt a standard for spreadsheet design, including consistent formatting, fonts, colors, and file naming conventions.
• 🔒 Ensure team members have appropriate Excel skills and knowledge to maintain the spreadsheet without causing errors.
• 👥 Identify the audience for the spreadsheet to tailor the design for clarity and simplicity, considering both internal and external users.
• 📊 Include a welcome sheet with instructions to guide users on how to interact with the spreadsheet effectively.
• 📑 Separate data, calculations, and analysis into different worksheets to enhance readability and organization.
• 🛡️ Design for longevity by using features like Excel tables and avoiding hard coding values to accommodate future changes.
• 🎨 Use color coding and cell styles to visually distinguish between input, output, and calculation cells, enhancing user understanding.
• 🚫 Remove grid lines for a cleaner look that focuses attention on the data, rather than the spreadsheet structure.
• 🔐 Control data input using data validation and protection features to prevent errors and maintain spreadsheet integrity.

Q & A

What are some common issues that can arise from not planning the design of a spreadsheet?

Common issues include errors introduced by others when the spreadsheet is unprotected, formulas being changed unintentionally, time-consuming queries from colleagues about data entry and calculations, and difficulty in making future modifications due to lack of initial planning.

Why is adopting a standard and implementing it important in spreadsheet design?

Adopting a standard ensures consistency in cell formatting, fonts, colors, and file naming, which helps in maintaining a professional look, avoiding distractions, and making the spreadsheet easy to navigate and understand.

How can ensuring an appropriate level of knowledge and competence within a team prevent spreadsheet issues?

When team members have sufficient training and skills in Excel, they can work on spreadsheets without causing errors or requiring excessive guidance, leading to more efficient and error-free collaboration.

What is the significance of identifying your audience when designing a spreadsheet?

Identifying the audience helps tailor the design to their needs, ensuring the spreadsheet is as clean and simple as possible, and appropriate for the intended viewers, whether they are internal team members, managers, clients, or external stakeholders.

Why should a welcome sheet with instructions be included in an Excel spreadsheet?

A welcome sheet with instructions provides clear guidance on how to use the spreadsheet, reducing confusion and the number of questions asked, and ensuring that users enter data and perform calculations correctly.

How does separating data, calculations, and analysis into different worksheets improve spreadsheet usability?

Separating these elements avoids confusion, enhances readability, and allows for easier management and updates of the spreadsheet, as changes in one section do not inadvertently affect others.

What is the benefit of designing spreadsheets for longevity?

Designing for longevity ensures that the spreadsheet can accommodate future changes without significant rework. This includes using features like Excel tables and avoiding hard coding values into formulas, which allows for easier updates and maintenance.

Why is it recommended not to hard code values into formulas in a spreadsheet?

Avoiding hard coding allows for easier updates; for example, if a tax rate changes, updating it in one cell will automatically adjust all related formulas, rather than having to manually change each instance.

How can color coding and cell styles contribute to a cleaner and clearer spreadsheet?

Color coding helps visually group related data, while cell styles can indicate the purpose of cells (input, output, calculation, etc.), making the spreadsheet easier to understand and navigate.

What is the purpose of controlling data input in a spreadsheet?

Controlling data input through features like data validation and protection ensures the integrity of the spreadsheet by preventing unauthorized changes and errors, maintaining accuracy and reliability of the data.

Outlines

00:00

📊 Spreadsheet Design Fundamentals

The paragraph emphasizes the importance of thoughtful design and structure in spreadsheet creation. It points out that neglecting these aspects can lead to errors and confusion when the spreadsheet is shared or updated. The speaker introduces 'golden rules' of spreadsheet design to prevent such issues, such as adopting and implementing a standard for formatting, ensuring team competence in Excel, identifying the audience for the spreadsheet, and including a welcome sheet with instructions. These rules are aimed at making the spreadsheet user-friendly, error-free, and adaptable to future changes.

05:00

📑 Enhancing Usability with Instructions and Structure

This paragraph focuses on the practical aspects of making spreadsheets more user-friendly and efficient. It suggests including a welcome sheet with instructions to guide users on how to interact with the spreadsheet, which can reduce confusion and the number of support queries. The paragraph also advocates for separating data, calculations, and analysis into different worksheets to maintain clarity and organization. Additionally, it stresses the importance of designing spreadsheets with longevity in mind, using features like Excel tables and avoiding hard coding values to facilitate easy updates and modifications in the future.

10:02

🛡️ Controlling Data Input and Protecting Spreadsheets

The final paragraph discusses strategies for controlling data input and protecting the integrity of spreadsheets. It highlights the use of data validation to restrict user entries to predefined options, thus preventing errors. The paragraph also covers the use of worksheet and workbook protection to safeguard formulas and critical data from unauthorized changes. By implementing these measures, the speaker aims to ensure that spreadsheets remain reliable and accurate, even when shared among multiple users.

Keywords

💡Spreadsheet Design

Spreadsheet Design refers to the process of planning and creating the layout and structure of a spreadsheet. In the video, it is emphasized as a critical step to avoid future errors and confusion. The video suggests adopting a standard, ensuring team competence, and considering the audience's needs, which are all part of effective spreadsheet design.

💡Data Protection

Data Protection in spreadsheets involves采取措施 to prevent unauthorized changes or errors. The video mentions protecting spreadsheets to avoid errors when shared with others, illustrating its importance by discussing how unprotected spreadsheets can come back with numerous errors.

💡Excel Tables

Excel Tables are a feature in Microsoft Excel that allows data to be organized and managed more effectively. The video suggests using Excel tables for longevity, as they facilitate easier data updates and help in managing large sets of data without hard coding values into formulas.

💡Data Validation

Data Validation is a technique used in spreadsheets to control the type of data that can be entered into a cell. The video discusses using data validation to ensure that users enter data correctly, preventing errors and maintaining the integrity of the spreadsheet.

💡Cell Formatting

Cell Formatting refers to the visual presentation of data in a spreadsheet, including fonts, colors, and borders. The video stresses the importance of adopting a standard for cell formatting to maintain consistency and readability across the spreadsheet.

💡File Naming Convention

A File Naming Convention is a system for naming files in a consistent and organized manner. The video advises using a consistent file naming convention to help users quickly understand the content of a spreadsheet at a glance, such as using prefixes like 'inv' for invoices or 'rpt' for reports.

💡Formulas

Formulas in spreadsheets are mathematical expressions used to perform calculations. The video highlights the importance of not hard coding values into formulas to ensure that changes in one place automatically update all related calculations, contributing to a more efficient and error-free spreadsheet.

💡Welcome Sheet

A Welcome Sheet in a spreadsheet serves as an introductory guide for users, providing instructions on how to use the spreadsheet effectively. The video suggests including a welcome sheet with instructions to reduce confusion and the number of questions asked by users.

💡Color Coding

Color Coding is the use of colors to categorize or distinguish different types of information. In the context of the video, color coding is recommended for worksheets to visually indicate related data and to enhance the overall clarity and organization of the spreadsheet.

💡Data Analysis

Data Analysis involves examining and interpreting data to draw conclusions or support decision-making. The video mentions separating data, calculations, and analysis into different worksheets to avoid confusion and to maintain a clear focus on the analysis, such as creating pivot tables or charts.

💡Workbook Protection

Workbook Protection is a feature in Excel that allows users to restrict editing of certain cells or the entire workbook. The video discusses the use of workbook protection to prevent unauthorized changes to formulas and to maintain the integrity of the spreadsheet data.

Highlights

The importance of designing spreadsheets with future modifications in mind to avoid extensive rework.

Adopting a standard and implementing it for consistent cell formatting, fonts, colors, and file names.

Using appropriate colors that add to the data without causing distraction.

Choosing readable fonts like Arial or Calibri for spreadsheets.

Organizing large datasets into tables with borders and background fills for clarity.

Implementing a consistent file naming convention for easy identification of spreadsheet content.

Ensuring team members have adequate Excel skills and knowledge to work effectively with spreadsheets.

Identifying the audience to tailor the spreadsheet design for clarity and simplicity.

Including a welcome sheet with instructions to guide users on how to use the spreadsheet.

Separating source data, calculations, and analysis onto different worksheets to avoid confusion.

Designing for longevity by using Excel tables and avoiding hard coding values in formulas.

Using color coding and cell styles to identify different types of cells within the spreadsheet.

Removing grid lines for a clean, focused view on the data.

Controlling data input with data validation and protection to maintain worksheet integrity.

Utilizing data validation drop-down lists to control user inputs and prevent errors.

Protecting specific cells or the entire workbook to prevent accidental changes to formulas.

Transcripts

[Music]

simon says subscribe and click on the

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when most of us are asked to put

together a spreadsheet we tend to dive

into this task without giving too much

thought to the design or the structure

and whilst the result of simply just

entering in data into a spreadsheet

without thinking too much about it might

be sufficient for the task at hand and

your manager might be completely happy

with the spreadsheet that you've

produced it can cause problems further

down the line if you haven't really

thought about how you're designing it

for example if you've spent a long time

working on a spreadsheet and you haven't

protected it in any way when you share

that with other people when it comes

back around to you you might find that

you have lots of errors in that

spreadsheet or maybe formulas that you

didn't intend to be changed have been

changed or maybe you're getting lots of

questions from your colleagues about

where they should enter their data what

type of calculations they should be

using which can become very time

consuming or maybe when you originally

set up this spreadsheet you didn't

really think about the future so in six

months time when you come back to that

spreadsheet and you need to make changes

to it you find that you're really having

to spend a lot of time

modifying different formulas in

different cells as opposed to just being

able to update one figure and have

everything else in the spreadsheet

automatically update so it's things like

this that we really do need to think

about at the design stage so what i've

done here is i've put together some

golden rules of spreadsheet design that

would be very helpful to think about

before you get too far into the creation

process

so let's take a look at them

number one adopt a standard and

implement it so this relates to adopting

a consistent convention when it comes to

things like cell formatting fonts colors

and file names it might be that you work

at an organization that has branded

colors and so the colors that you're

using in your spreadsheet need to be

from a specific palette whatever colors

you choose to use make sure that they

are appropriate for the type of

spreadsheet that you're putting together

they add to the data and don't distract

and you use color consistently across

your spreadsheet and it doesn't end up

looking like a rainbow also when it

comes to fonts make sure that you're

using a font that's easy to read

ariel font calibri font those are always

great examples of font that works well

in excel

stay away from some of the fancier font

which again is really going to distract

from your data and make it difficult for

other people to read put things like

large data sets into tables so that they

look organized and use borders and

background fills to highlight certain

pieces of data even when you're thinking

about naming your spreadsheets try and

implement a consistent file naming

convention if the spreadsheet relates to

an invoice maybe think about using a

prefix in the file name like inv and

then maybe the date if it's a report

maybe use a prefix like rpt

so immediately if you're looking at your

files in file explorer you have a rough

idea as to what's contained within that

spreadsheet all of these things really

help you adopt a consistent standard

number two try and ensure there is an

appropriate level of knowledge and

competence within your team if you have

top-notch excel skills and it's your job

to put together the majority of the

spreadsheets but you're sharing those

spreadsheets with colleagues who have

very basic excel skills that can cause

problems so it's a really good idea to

make sure that the people within your

team have not only had the sufficient

training but they have the knowledge and

skills to work on your spreadsheets

without having to ask many questions or

maybe cause problems with that

spreadsheet number three identify your

audience

ensure that the design is appropriate

for your audience and it's as clean and

simple as possible to understand

it's really important when you're

putting together a spreadsheet to think

about who's going to be looking at this

spreadsheet

is it just going to be internal is it

just your team colleagues is it your

manager or is it going to a client or up

to stakeholders

maybe it's a personal project that

you're working on maybe you're putting

together something for your after-school

club and so therefore have a little bit

more leeway on how professional that

spreadsheet needs to look

so think about whose eyes are going to

be on this spreadsheet and design

accordingly

for example if this is a professional

business spreadsheet that's going to go

to clients you're probably not going to

want to use something like comic sans

font you also might not want to add any

images that appear to cartoony or colors

that are very lurid so think about your

audience prior to starting out with the

design number five include a welcome

sheet with instruction it's always good

to provide a welcome sheet with your

excel spreadsheet which has instructions

on how to use the spreadsheet and this

is really something that i don't tend to

see a lot of people do but it can be so

helpful particularly if you're sharing

this workbook with lots of people simply

having a worksheet at the beginning

called how to use can offer valuable

instructions so people aren't confused

as to how to use the worksheet and where

they need to input their information it

might provide some guidance as to where

that user needs to enter their data or

what they need to do

and you can add things onto this sheet

such as keys or legends

so if you have lots of formatting in

your spreadsheet let other people know

what that formatting means you might

want to give some guidance about where

this worksheet needs to be saved once

they've made changes

or you might even want to go a stage

further and have a versions worksheet

that people update once they've made

changes all of this type of information

is so useful when you're sharing your

workbooks with other people and really

cuts down the amount of questions that

you're being asked

number six separate your data make sure

that you have your source data your

calculations and your analysis on

separate worksheets to avoid confusion

excel is one of the best tools out there

when it comes to analyzing data so if

you have a whole bunch of sales data

like i have just here you want to ensure

that you have your raw data source your

sales data on one worksheet but any

calculations you perform based off of

this data you want to keep those

separate on a different worksheet if i'd

put these on the same worksheet as the

source data things can start to get

really confusing and it really doesn't

assist with readability for other people

i would also then put my analysis of

that data on another worksheet entirely

so my analysis might be something like

taking that source data and creating a

pivot table or creating some kind of

chart so don't try and cram all of these

different things your source data your

calculations and your analysis on to one

worksheet separate everything out

design for longevity

make sure that you future-proof your

spreadsheet and allow for future changes

now this is a really important one

as i said at the beginning we tend to

just put our data into a worksheet and

sometimes we don't really think about

having to use that worksheet in six

months or a year's time particularly

when it's been circulated around

numerous people so make sure you think

about using things like excel tables

which is going to make updating your

data a lot quicker and easier

and the golden rule here never hard code

values into your formulas

for example if we take a look at this

tax column i'm currently clicked on cell

i6 i have a formula here which is just

multiplying the sales value in cell h6

with the sales tax

now instead of typing in or hard coding

the number 15

into this formula i've used a cell

reference

so if this sales tax changes in six

months time to 20 percent it means that

i'm not having to go into the formula

and change 15 to 20 in everything in

this tax column i can simply change it

in one cell and all of the formulas will

automatically update

so don't hard code numbers into your

cells and think about using things like

tables

use a consistent clear structure so

think about color coding your worksheets

and use cell styles to identify input

output and calculation cells it's good

to get into the habit particularly when

you're working on larger workbooks that

have lots and lots of different

worksheets of color coding those

worksheets

so worksheets that contain related data

or similar data make the tabs all one

color for example if you take a look at

my tabs in this workbook you can see

that the three that are in green are all

kind of related to each other

so it's a really good visual indicator

of which worksheets are related to other

worksheets

another thing that can be really helpful

is to use something called cell styles

i'm actually going to talk more about

this in the first lesson but what cell

styles do i basically let the user know

which cells are input cells i.e which

ones they can change which ones contain

calculations which ones contain a

heading which ones contain warnings so

on and so forth

and once you have cell styles in your

workbook you can then add those into the

legend on that welcome sheet so that

people understand exactly what each of

these formatted cells mean another thing

that really assists with keeping your

spreadsheets looking clean and clear is

by removing the grid lines

you can see on all of my worksheets i

don't have the excel grid line showing i

have a really nice clean white

background which really allows the focus

to be entirely on the data

and finally a really important golden

rule

control data input

so keep worksheets error-free using data

validation and protection if you're

sharing your workbook with lots of other

people as i mentioned at the beginning

the more people who have access to your

workbook the more likely it is that

somebody's going to change something

that's going to cause an error and you

really don't want to be spending a lot

of time putting together a really nice

worksheet with lots of wizzy formulas in

it only to have someone break the

formula the first time they use it so we

can help with that by controlling access

to certain parts of our worksheet for

example you could think about using

things like data validation drop down

list to control exactly what users are

entering into the cells with this drop

down list just here nobody can free type

into that cell they are forced to select

one of the options that i've set up in

this drop down list it also might be

that you want to add protection to the

worksheet or even the entire workbook

so that people can't edit specific cells

so if you have a cell that contains a

formula like this one just here if i

don't want anybody changing what this

formula says i can choose to protect

this cell but keep everything else

unprotected so they can do things like

select manager names they simply can't

edit the formula

notice if i try and edit anything i'm

getting a message pop up because i've

applied protection

so there's lots of things we can do in

excel to control the data that's going

into our spreadsheet to keep them as

error-free as possible

so those are my golden rules when it

comes to designing spreadsheets have a

little think about your work and how you

might adopt some of these approaches if

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simon says it