Investment Banking Infographic Skill

This is an institutional-quality research and investment skill.

Create museum-quality, one-page infographics that distill complex data and analysis into visually compelling summaries following institutional standards.

When to Trigger

• "Create an infographic from this data"
• "Summarize this analysis as a one-pager"
• "Build a visual executive summary"
• "Turn this into an IB-style infographic"
• "Create a data visualization summary"
• "Make a visual one-pager with key insights"
• "Professional infographic with charts"

Output Format

PNG (Recommended): Transparent background for easy layering, 1920x1080 (1080p) or 3840x2160 (4K) PDF: For print-ready documents

Generated via Python using PIL/Pillow and matplotlib with grid-based layout to prevent overlapping.

Workflow

Step 1: Data Assessment

Before creating, identify:

1. Primary narrative – What's the single most important insight?
2. Supporting data points – 3-5 key metrics that reinforce the narrative
3. Comparison dimensions – Time series, peer comparison, category breakdown
4. Visual hierarchy – What should the eye hit first, second, third?

Step 2: Layout Selection

Choose layout based on data complexity:

Step 3: Visual Component Selection

Select from these IB-standard visualization types:

Charts (use matplotlib with IB styling)

• Bar charts (horizontal preferred for readability)
• Waterfall charts (for bridge analysis)
• Donut/ring charts (for composition, never pie)
• Line charts (time series with area fill)
• Bullet charts (actual vs target)
• Sparklines (inline trends)
• Heatmaps (correlation or performance matrices)

Metrics & Callouts

• Hero numbers (large, bold, with context)
• Delta indicators (▲/▼ with color coding)
• Mini KPI cards (icon + number + label)
• Comparison tables (compact, max 5 rows)

Visual Elements

• Section dividers (thin lines, never heavy)
• Icon sets (minimal, geometric)
• Progress bars (for completion/utilization)
• Traffic lights (RAG status)

Step 4: Apply IB Design Standards

Typography

• Headers: Arial Bold 18-24pt
• Subheaders: Arial Bold 12-14pt
• Body/Labels: Arial Regular 9-10pt
• Metrics: Arial Bold 28-48pt (hero numbers)

Color Palette (Goldman/MS Standard)

Primary Navy:    #1F3864
Secondary Blue:  #2E75B6
Accent Gold:     #C5A572
Positive Green:  #00B050
Negative Red:    #C00000
Neutral Gray:    #7F7F7F
Light Fill:      #E8F1F8
Background:      #FFFFFF

Layout Rules

• Margins: 0.5" minimum (0.75" preferred)
• Gutters: 0.25" between elements
• White space: 30% minimum (breathing room is premium)
• Alignment: Strict grid, no floating elements
• Balance: Visual weight distributed evenly

Chart Styling

• No chart borders or boxes
• Axis lines: light gray (#D0D0D0), thin (0.5pt)
• Grid lines: dotted, very light (#E8E8E8)
• Data labels: inside bars or end-of-line (never legends when avoidable)
• Title: above chart, left-aligned, bold

Step 5: Key Insight Highlighting

Every infographic MUST include:

1. Executive Headline – Single sentence capturing the "so what"
   • Position: Top center, largest text
   • Example: "Revenue Growth Accelerating: +23% YoY Driven by Enterprise Expansion"
2. Key Takeaways Box – 3-4 bullet points
   • Position: Top-right or bottom
   • Format: Icon + short phrase (no full sentences)
   • Color: Light background fill (#E8F1F8)
3. Source & Date Stamp
   • Position: Bottom-left footer
   • Format: "Source: [source] | Data as of [date]"
   • Size: 8pt, gray (#7F7F7F)
4. Confidentiality Mark (optional)
   • Position: Bottom-right or watermark
   • Text: "CONFIDENTIAL" or "DRAFT"

Implementation

Dependencies

pip install matplotlib pillow numpy --break-system-packages

Grid-Based Layout System

The canvas uses a 12x12 grid system to prevent overlapping:

• Elements snap to grid cells
• Specify row, col, row_span, col_span for positioning
• Grid automatically tracks occupied cells
• 60px margins, 24px gutters between elements

Size Presets

Core Generation Script

Read: scripts/generate_infographic.py

The script provides:

• InfographicCanvas class with grid-based layout
• IBCharts class with pre-styled matplotlib charts
• IBColors class with IB color palette
• PNG transparency support
• Automatic element positioning

Quick Start Template

from scripts.generate_infographic import InfographicCanvas, IBCharts, IBColors

# Initialize canvas (transparent PNG)
canvas = InfographicCanvas(
    output_path="infographic.png",
    title="Q3 2024 Performance Summary",
    subtitle="Enterprise Division",
    size='landscape_1080p',
    transparent=True  # Set False for white background
)

# Add hero metric (grid position: row 1, col 0, spans 2 rows × 2 cols)
canvas.add_hero_metric(
    value="$847M",
    label="Revenue",
    delta="+23% YoY",
    delta_positive=True,
    row=1, col=0, row_span=2, col_span=2
)

# Add chart (grid position: row 1, col 2, spans 5 rows × 5 cols)
chart = IBCharts.waterfall(
    categories=["Q3'23", "New Logos", "Expansion", "Churn", "Q3'24"],
    values=[680, 120, 85, -38, 847],
    title="Revenue Bridge ($M)",
    transparent=True
)
canvas.add_chart(chart, row=1, col=2, row_span=5, col_span=5)

# Add key takeaways (grid position: row 1, col 10, spans 5 rows × 2 cols)
canvas.add_takeaways([
    "Enterprise logos grew 34% YoY",
    "Net revenue retention at 118%",
    "APAC expansion driving growth"
], row=1, col=10, row_span=5, col_span=2)

# Add data table
canvas.add_table(
    headers=["Metric", "Q3'23", "Q3'24", "Δ"],
    rows=[
        ["Revenue", "$680M", "$847M", "+24.6%"],
        ["Customers", "1,240", "1,662", "+34.0%"],
        ["NRR", "112%", "118%", "+6pp"]
    ],
    row=7, col=0, row_span=4, col_span=5
)

# Add footer
canvas.add_footer("Internal Finance Data", "September 30, 2024", confidential=True)

# Generate
canvas.save()

Chart Type Reference

All charts support transparent=True for PNG transparency.

Waterfall Chart

IBCharts.waterfall(
    categories=["Start", "Add1", "Add2", "Sub1", "End"],
    values=[100, 30, 20, -15, 135],
    title="Value Bridge",
    transparent=True
)

Horizontal Bar

IBCharts.hbar(
    categories=["Product A", "Product B", "Product C"],
    values=[45, 32, 23],
    title="Revenue Mix (%)",
    highlight_index=0,  # Highlight top bar
    transparent=True
)

Donut Chart

IBCharts.donut(
    labels=["North America", "EMEA", "APAC"],
    values=[55, 30, 15],
    title="Revenue by Region",
    center_label="$847M\nTotal",
    transparent=True
)

Line with Area

IBCharts.line_area(
    x_labels=["Q1", "Q2", "Q3", "Q4"],
    y_values=[100, 120, 135, 155],
    title="Quarterly Revenue Trend",
    fill_alpha=0.25,
    transparent=True
)

Bullet Chart

IBCharts.bullet(
    actual=85,
    target=100,
    ranges=[50, 75, 100],
    title="Target Achievement",
    transparent=True
)

Heatmap

IBCharts.heatmap(
    row_labels=["Q1", "Q2", "Q3", "Q4"],
    col_labels=["NA", "EMEA", "APAC"],
    values=[[80, 60, 40], [85, 65, 50], [90, 70, 55], [95, 75, 60]],
    title="Performance Matrix",
    cmap="RdYlGn",  # Red-Yellow-Green
    transparent=True
)

Layout Templates (12×12 Grid)

Hero Metric Layout

Grid: 12 columns × 12 rows (row 0 = header, row 11 = footer)

Row 0:  [HEADLINE: spans all 12 columns]
        ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Row 1-2: │ KPI 1   │                                │ TAKEAWAYS │
         │ (0-1)   │     [PRIMARY CHART]            │ (10-11)   │
Row 3-4: │ KPI 2   │     (col 2-6, row 1-5)         │           │
         │ (0-1)   │                                │           │
Row 5-6: │ KPI 3   │                                │           │
         │ (0-1)   │                                │           │
        ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Row 7-10:│     [CHART 2]      │    [TABLE]    │  [CHART 3]  │
         │    (0-4)           │    (5-8)      │   (9-11)    │
        ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Row 11: [FOOTER: source, date, confidential]

Dashboard Layout

Row 0:   [HEADLINE]
         ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Row 1-2: │ KPI 1 │ KPI 2 │ KPI 3 │ KPI 4 │ KPI 5 │ KPI 6 │
         │ (0-1) │ (2-3) │ (4-5) │ (6-7) │ (8-9) │(10-11)│
         ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Row 3-6: │      [CHART 1]       │       [CHART 2]        │
         │      (0-5)           │       (6-11)           │
         ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Row 7-10:│              [COMPARISON TABLE]               │
         │                   (0-11)                      │
         ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Row 11:  [FOOTER]

Quadrant Layout

Row 0:   [HEADLINE]
         ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Row 1-5: │    THEME 1 + CHART   │    THEME 2 + CHART    │
         │       (0-5)          │        (6-11)         │
         ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Row 6-10:│    THEME 3 + CHART   │    THEME 4 + CHART    │
         │       (0-5)          │        (6-11)         │
         ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Row 11:  [FOOTER]

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing, verify:

• Headline captures the "so what" in one sentence
• Visual hierarchy is clear (eye path is intentional)
• Data labels are readable (9pt minimum)
• Colors follow IB palette (no random colors)
• Alignment is pixel-perfect (use grid)
• White space is generous (30%+ of page)
• Takeaways are actionable, not descriptive
• Source and date are included
• No chartjunk (gridlines, borders, legends minimized)
• Numbers formatted correctly (commas, decimals, units)

Common Patterns

Financial Summary

• Hero: Key financial metric (revenue, EBITDA)
• Charts: Waterfall bridge, trend line, peer comparison
• Table: Condensed financials (3-5 rows max)

Competitive Analysis

• Hero: Market position or share
• Charts: Horizontal bar comparison, radar/spider
• Table: Feature comparison matrix

Performance Dashboard

• Hero: Overall score or rating
• Charts: Bullet charts, heatmap
• Table: KPI summary with RAG status

Investment Thesis

• Hero: Target price or recommendation
• Charts: Football field, sensitivity table
• Callouts: Key drivers and risks

References

See references/ folder:

• chart-gallery.md – Visual examples of all chart types
• color-systems.md – Extended color palettes and usage
• typography-guide.md – Font pairing and hierarchy
• layout-grids.md – Detailed grid specifications