I created a branded bonus structure to help visually explain the bonus structure used by Oxford Companies. The goal of this project was to help simplify the process and criteria involved in determining bonus amounts, while keeping the overview broad enough to account for variability. I built the graphic using info provided in a doc by Oxford's head of Human Resources.
Bonus Structure
Graphic
Pre-Existing Design Elements
Logo
Colors
#16214C
#1793D1
#EF4822
Font (Lato)
Document (Starting Point)
Original Version
Simplifying Data
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In order to begin visualizing the bonus structure, I first gathered the information from the HR document into a single page and standardized the formatting so that I could see the examples within a common framework.
Once I understood that the examples functioned similarly with only the amounts varying, I was able to begin translating the steps into visuals by choosing a basic form (a sort of flowchart with arrows) and applying the numbers provided in the document so that the sizes of the chart components were proportional to their respective multipliers.
Visual Exploration (Chart Components)
Font (Acumin Variable Concept)
First Draft
I organized the examples in the first draft vertically, using orange arrows to represent the portions of the potential bonus total that continued through each step, and grey lines to represent the portions that were lost because of performance-related evaluations of less than 100% or a lower EBITDA for the company.
Feedback for this draft included a request for the examples to be displayed horizontally as well as a suggestion to drop the grey lines, leaving those amounts implied.
I also decided the colors needed to change to differentiate between the portions of the calculation that were based on employee performance and the portion that was determined by the percentage of the company's EBITDA goal reached.
Mid-Process Drafts
Refining + Narrowing
Final Version
The final graphic is designed to balance simplicity, intuitiveness, and broad applicability for all employees. The examples were reordered to flow from lowest to highest starting amount, and the colors were chosen to visually connect the starting EBITDA multiplier and the final total, emphasizing their association. The graphic distills the information originally provided by the HR document, communicating the structure through which bonus amounts are determined while acknowledging the variability involved.