1. A method, implemented by a computing system, the method comprising: displaying, on a graphical user interface display, a set of dataset icons, each dataset icon corresponding to a different dataset; displaying, on the graphical user interface display, a set of design icons, each design icon corresponding to a different report design; generating a report dataset metamodel by receiving a drag and drop input, on the graphical user interface display, visually associating a given dataset icon with a given design icon, the report dataset metamodel representing a given report layout type design that results from applying the report design corresponding to the given design icon to the dataset corresponding to the given dataset icon; automatically applying style properties, from a report style template metamodel associated with the report design corresponding to the given design icon, to the given report layout design represented by the report dataset metamodel, to obtain a report metamodel that includes an abstract definition of a production report; processing the report metamodel into a physical report definition schema; and displaying the production report based on the physical report definition schema.