So many spreadsheets require basic math, but poor layout makes a spreadsheet unnecessarily complicated and brittle. They don’t need sophisticated dashboards, forecasts, statistical analysis, or connections to a database. They just need to perform basic tasks like:
- Tally how many new customers subscribed in the past month
- Track the details of a wedding
- Calculate a small company’s payroll
When I’ve come across an octopus spreadsheet it’s easy to see that the developer was making conscious, intuitive decisions. Often, the starting point is with a single task. However, over time, more tasks are needed, the data gets more complex, more tentacles are added … eventually … yup … an octopus.
In this video, I go through the thinking process of good spreadsheet development and avoidance of the octopus.
Here’s video where I show how to use dropdown lists to control spreadsheet layout.
Excel Bloggers Whose Use Good Spreadsheet Layout
Check out these Excel bloggers. A lot of their work goes beyond stand-alone tips. They build tools and weave Excel’s features together. Pay attention to where they put things and how they keep their spreadsheets integrated.
Debra Dalgleish youtube.com/user/contextures
Mynda Treacy myonlinetraininghub.com
Kevin Lehrbass youtube.com/user/MySpreadsheetLab
Chris Newman thespreadsheetguru.com
Mike “ExcelIsFun” Girvin youtube.com/user/ExcelIsFun/
Guerrilla Data Analysis 2nd Edition
Spreadsheet layout is so important that I added it to my book (available at Amazon.com): Guerrilla Data Analysis, 2nd Ed.
Electronic version can be purchased here.
Octopus print courtesy of Vecteezy
In my opinion pre planning can save lots of time.
PuneetGogia YUP! Preplanning for current needs, and anticipation of future needs.