Create a One Pager In One Hour

Evaluation Tools / By

by Lindsay Lamb

Have you ever been in a situation where someone needs a one-pager – like yesterday? You’re just sitting at your desk, and all of a sudden, your boss comes by and says, “Hey Lindsay, the superintendent [program manager, director, business analyst] needs a one-pager on that research [analysis, presentation, etc.] you’ve been working on. Can you get it to me in two hours?”

Internally, if you’re anything like me, you’re probably thinking: “AHHHHHH!!! HOW AM I GOING TO DO THIS??? THIS IS CRAZY!!!”

Externally, you remained poised and self-confident : “Of course, I’m happy to help!”

So, what can you do to make this happen? Take a deep breath and follow these simple steps.

  1. Use what you’ve got. Before you get started, do you have a longer report, outline, or presentation? If yes, then this process just got A LOT easier. If not, don’t worry, I’m sure much of that information exists in your head. Go ahead and sketch out a rough outline either using word or on paper – whatever you need to do to get those creative juices flowing.
  2. Use One-Pager Building Blocks: Now that you have a rough idea of what you want to say, use these four building blocks to help you get started building your report:
Use these building blocks to design your one-pager. You can even use them to segment the page (or pages as a one-pager can be two-pages front and back).

If you have a larger report, presentation, or outline, what are the main headings and/or major findings? Do you already have a description of the study? Trim that down and drop it in at the beginning or in the sidebar. If not, quickly jot down the things from your report/presentation/analysis that stand out to you. Whittle them down to the top four ideas and rank them so you know which one to add depending on how much space you have in your document. Keep in mind that when you create your report, you want to include as much white space as possible to make it easier for your audience to read you report. Don’t muddle it with too much information.

Now that you have a better idea of what you want to say, it’s time to start thinking about the layout. As a general rule, a one-pager can be broken down into three or four major sections per page: The introduction, a major finding, a visualization and a photo. Sidebars are a great way to visually break up the page and add some of this information. Here is a generic template that can give you a rough idea of what your one-pager might look like.

Here are the building blocks of a one-pager using our generic template. Remember, your one-pager can be two pages (one-page front and back):

Here’s a snapshot of our generic template. There are three sections represented here comprised of finding 1, finding 2, and a sidebar.
  1. Have you created data visualizations? Can you use those? Can you combine visualizations (small multiples, maybe)? If not, think of ways to create data visualizations quickly. Most people respond well to percentages and simple figures. If time permits, create a visualization using that type of information. Remember, as an evaluator, you most likely won’t be the one sharing the information from this report, so it is important to ensure the data visualization can stand on its own without a lot of explanation. Don’t have time to create a visualization? Use icons or photos to break up the text and add something visually appealing for your reader.
  2. Summarize key takeaways. What do you want you audience to remember? Are there important strategies they need to consider? Program elements that should be removed? Funding sources that should be added or eliminated? Share them, and preferably using bullets 😉

Whew. That was quick, but I hope you have found it useful. If, like me, you find yourself in tis situation, remember to use the following strategies to help you create a one-pager in just a couple of hours:

  1. Identify the major findings
  2. Break up the page into three or four sections. Use a sidebar to include additional information relevant to your analysis such as a description of the study, data used, research questions, project timeline, etc.
  3. Create effective and efficient data visualizations that correspond with your major findings. Don’t have time for visualizations? That’s okay, you can use icons or photos.
  4. Highlight the key takeaways from your analysis. What do people need to know to make informed decisions?

That’s it!

Want to learn more? Our upcoming mini-course will take you deeper into creating an effective one-pager – stay tuned!