Table exhibit (status colors)

When to use

Use when rows are comparable entities (sites, vendors, options). Do not use for a paragraph of findings (use key-findings). Do not color every cell.

Guidelines

Header row, restrained status on verdict columns only. Title is the verdict.

Example

Rules

1. Title states the table’s conclusion.
2. Status color only on cells that encode good/warn/bad — using board status tokens.
3. Same criteria per row. No mixed units in a column.
4. Enough padding that the table does not look like a spreadsheet dump.

User recipe

Pick family: Consulting exhibit first.

Insert objects:

• Text: title stating the conclusion, kicker, source line
• Table: rows for entities, columns for criteria

Assemble:

1. Header row with criteria labels
2. Same criteria across all rows
3. Status color only on verdict cells (good/warn/bad)
4. No mixed units in a column

Anti-patterns

• Excel paste with gridlines and 11-pt type.
• Conditional color on every number.