Brief

Connix Consulting is an independent environmental surveying practice focused on due-diligence advice during property transactions. As a new consultancy founded by two former colleagues, they needed a Word report template that looked polished yet remained effortless to use. Brand assets were light, but the website’s colour palette and logo set a confident tone, which we used as the visual anchor. The brief was clear: create an environmental due diligence report template that feels pre-typeset, with page-level structure and placeholders so the founders can add, remove or reorder content quickly. Each chapter needed preset elements—headings, summary panels, data tables, risk flags and figure captions—so non-designers could “click and type” or “click and insert” while the layout holds its shape. Because reports are produced frequently by a small team, the template had to export cleanly to PDF, keep pagination consistent, and minimise manual formatting. In short, the requirement was a stylish, reliable Word template that translates their brand into clear, repeatable reporting.

Approach

We rebuilt the report as a disciplined, style-driven Word file. Theme colours and fonts mirrored the brand; a tight grid governed margins, columns and safe areas; and headings, lists and captions were engineered to preserve spacing during edits. Each chapter began as a preset page with ready placeholders—intro summary, key findings, recommendations, evidence tables and figure call-outs—so authors could insert content without touching layout objects. Tables used brand-aligned table styles with accessible contrast and readable numerals; image frames were pre-sized with crop behaviour and caption styles. We added cross-references so contents and lists update in one step. Because the aim was zero faff for a small team, we avoided reliance on Quick Parts libraries; instead, all structural elements are pre-placed on the relevant pages. Headers/footers included dynamic page numbers and document IDs; print presets ensured neat output on common paper sizes. Finally, we validated on typical Windows builds and checked PDF export so the report reads cleanly on screen and in print.

Outcome

The founders now produce environmental due-diligence reports faster and with fewer formatting fixes. The style system prevents drift, while preset chapters and placeholders make editing straightforward—just change the facts and publish. Tables and images remain aligned, captions stay attached, and PDFs export with consistent pagination and branding. The template looks as if it were laid out in a design tool, yet it is entirely editable in Microsoft Word, giving a small team enterprise-level polish without additional overhead.