top of page

The Pink Elephant Principle: Highlighting What Matters in Report Design

Writer's picture: Elena DrakulevskaElena Drakulevska

In a world packed with data, how do you make sure your key points don’t get lost in the noise?


Enter the Pink Elephant Principle—a concept that makes sure your most important elements stand out, like a big pink elephant in the middle of a room. It’s impossible to ignore, and that’s exactly what you want for the critical parts of your report!

A pink elephant on a black backround

What is the Pink Elephant Principle?

The Pink Elephant Principle is all about making your key info impossible to miss. Whether it’s a number, a chart, or a headline, it should POP, so clearly that your audience can’t help but the-pink-elephant-principle-standing-out-in-report-designpay attention. Think of it as designing with intention—making sure your vital insights scream “look at me!” before anything else does.


So... What about those Pre-Attentive Attributes?

In the world of design theory, these “stand-out” elements are called pre-attentive attributes—basically fancy talk for visual cues like color, size, or shape that our brains register before we even start thinking. They're attention-grabbers.


To get an idea of the pre-attentive attributes, take a look at the following 2 images and compare how easy/hard it is to count all the 9s you can find. If you want to make it more fun, put on a stopwatch!


  • Without pre-attentive attributes

4 lines of random numbers

  • With pre-attentive attributes

4 lines of random numbers, this time, the 9s are black and the rest of the numbers are grey.

The second time was waaaay easier, am I right??


When I was learning about design (as my background is in Engineering) I struggled SO MUCH trying to remember this technical term... Pre-attentive attributes, PRE-attentive attributes, pre-attentive...


English is not my mother tongue, maybe that's why. Well, also maybe because it wasn't telling me much.


And, I thought, if I struggle so much with it, why would I expect others to understand it and remember it after one of my sessions?


So, I coined the Pink Elephant Principle! Same idea, just more fun and memorable. Whether you’re into technical terms or prefer to keep it light, the goal remains the same: make the important stuff stand out like a pink elephant at a black-tie party!


How to apply the Pink Elephant Principle?

So, how do you make your reports stand out? Here’s how you can put the Pink Elephant Principle into action:


  • Color: Use bold, contrasting colors to highlight key figures or headings. Color is often the most used pre-attentive attribute because our brains process it almost instantly. But remember, less is more—too many colors can overwhelm instead of clarify, so use them wisely to emphasize what matters most.

  • Size: Bigger = more noticeable. Make important numbers or headlines bigger so they take center stage.

  • Position: Place your essential info where the eyes naturally go first—like the top-left in Western languages (or the top-right in languages that read right-to-left).

  • Shape & Orientation: Use unique shapes or icons to direct focus exactly where you want it.

  • Grouping: Keep related items together to make it easier for the brain to process them as one.


But is it One-Size-Fits-All?

The Pink Elephant Principle works great for explanatory reports—like dashboards, presentations, or summaries where you need to make sure key insights are super clear. But if you’re working on an exploratory report, where the goal is for users to dig through the data and find their own insights, you might want to tone down the “pink elephant” effect.


Tip: Ask yourself if the report’s purpose is to explain or explore. That will guide how much flair to add.


With vs. Without the Pink Elephant Principle

To see how the Pink Elephant Principle can make a difference, let's compare these two scenarios:


  • Without the Pink Elephant Principle: Everything blends together, nothing stands out, and the reader has to work harder to figure out what’s important.

A bar chart with all the bars in teal color
Example chart without the Pink Elephant Principle
  • With the Pink Elephant Principle: Key numbers and visuals pop right away, guiding your reader’s eyes straight to the most important insights.

A screenshot of a report page, where some things are highlighted and stand out (like the bars above average, the KPI where we are doing bad, etc.))
An example report using the Pink Elephant Principle. Where can you notice it?

Note: These screenshots are just examples to illustrate how the Pink Elephant Principle can be applied. They’re not intended to represent the “best” or only way to create these visuals. Feel free to adapt the principle to suit your own style and project needs!


Going Beyond the Pink Elephant: Making Reports User-Friendly

The Pink Elephant Principle isn’t just about making key data pop—it’s also your secret weapon for creating reports that are intuitive and easy to follow. By using these visual cues, you’re not only making your design look awesome, but you're also guiding your users straight to the insights they actually care about.


Wrap-Up: Pick your Pink Elephant (or Pre-Attentive Attribute)

At the end of the day, whether you call it pre-attentive attributes or embrace the whimsy of the Pink Elephant Principle, the goal is the same: make the important stuff in your report stand out. Because, let’s face it, nobody remembers the grey elephants—we remember the pink ones.

A pink elephant with a bow tie and a top hat at a black-tie party.
Image generated with Microsoft Designer

So have fun, be bold, and make sure your key points are impossible to miss! Your users (and your data) will thank you.


Happy designing!


P.S. Have you subscribed to MoonStory yet? Explore some of the previous blog posts here.

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


Subscribe to MoonStory

Get notified about new insights, tips, and inspiration for your
Power BI and UX Design journey.

Thanks for subscribing!

MoonStory

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

©2023 by MoonStory

bottom of page