<PAGE>   1
                              UNITED STATES
                   SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                         WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                FORM 10-K/A

            /X/ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
                  For the fiscal year ended September 30, 1996

                                       OR

          /_/ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                         COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 0-26772

                                VISIO CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

              WASHINGTON                              91-1448389
   (State or other jurisdiction of       (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
    incorporation or organization)

           520 PIKE STREET, SUITE 1800, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 98101-4001
          (Address of principal executive offices)          (Zip code)

                                 (206) 521-4500
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

           SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OF THE ACT:
                                      NONE

           SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(g) OF THE ACT:
                          COMMON STOCK, $0.01 PAR VALUE
                                (Title of Class)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports
required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such
filing requirements for the past 90 days.

                  Yes  X                         No

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405
of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the
best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this
Form 10-K ( )

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the
registrant, based upon the closing sale price of the Common Stock on November
22, 1996 as reported on the Nasdaq National Market, was approximately
$302,248,000. Shares of Common Stock held by each officer and director and by
each person who owns 5% or more of the outstanding Common Stock have been
excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination
of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other
purposes.

As of November 22, 1996, there were 13,781,607 shares outstanding of the
registrant's Common Stock.


<PAGE>   2
                       DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

1.   Portions of the registrant's definitive Proxy Statement for the 1996 Annual
     Meeting of Shareholders to be held on February 26, 1997 are incorporated by
     reference in Part III of this Form 10-K.


     Visio, SmartShapes and Visio Solutions Library are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Visio Corporation in the United States and/or other 
countries. All other trademarks, trade names or company names referenced herein
are used for identification only and are the property of their respective 
owners.

<PAGE>   3
                                     PART IV

ITEM 14.   EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES, AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K

(a)      1.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

         The financial statements included in Item 8, Financial Statements and
         Supplementary Data, are set forth in the Index to Financial Statements
         and Financial Statement Schedules listed on page 21 of this Annual
         Report on Form 10-K.

         2.  FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

         The financial statement schedules are set forth in the Index to
         Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedules listed on page
         21 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

         3.  EXHIBITS

         The exhibits filed in response to Item 601 of Regulation S-K are listed
         in the Exhibit Index contained herein.

(b)      REPORTS ON FORM 8-K

         No reports on Form 8-K were filed during the fourth quarter of the
         fiscal year ended September 30, 1996.



                                       37
<PAGE>   4
                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


                                       VISIO CORPORATION

                                       By: /s/ JEREMY A. JAECH
                                           -----------------------------
                                           Jeremy A. Jaech
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer

                                        Date: January 9, 1997

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
this report has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the
registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
               Signature                                      Title                                   Date
               ---------                                      -----                                   ----
<S>                                           <C>                                                     <C>
/s/ JEREMY A. JAECH                            President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of     January 9, 1997
--------------------------------------         the Board (Principal Executive Officer)
Jeremy A. Jaech

    MARTY CHILBERG*                            Chief Financial Officer, Vice President, Finance and   January 9, 1997
--------------------------------------         Operations, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer
Marty Chilberg                                 (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

    THEODORE C. JOHNSON*                       Executive Vice President                               January 9, 1997
--------------------------------------         Director
Theodore C. Johnson

    TOM A. ALBERG*                             Director                                               January 9, 1997
--------------------------------------
Tom A. Alberg

    THOMAS H. BYERS*                           Director                                               January 9, 1997
--------------------------------------
Thomas H. Byers

                                               Director                                                          
--------------------------------------
John R. Johnston

 DOUGLAS MACKENZIE*                            Director                                               January 9, 1997
--------------------------------------
Douglas Mackenzie

    SCOTT OKI*                                 Director                                               January 9, 1997
--------------------------------------
Scott Oki

* By /s/ JEREMY A. JAECH
     ---------------------------------
     Jeremy A. Jaech, Attorney-in-fact
</TABLE>


                                      38
<PAGE>   5
                              INDEX TO EXHIBITS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
 NUMBER      DESCRIPTION                                                        PAGE
 ------      -----------                                                        ----

<S>          <C>                                                                <C>
  3.1        Restated Articles of Incorporation of Visio Corporation              *
  3.2        Restated Bylaws of Visio Corporation                                 *
  4.1        Specimen Common Stock Certificate of Visio Corporation               *
 10.1        1990 Stock Option Plan                                               *
 10.2        1995 Long-Term Incentive Stock Option Plan                           *
 10.3        1995 Stock Option Plan for Nonemployee Directors                     *
 10.4        Office Lease between Visio Corporation and Sixth & Pike              
             Associates, L.P. dated October 28, 1993                              * 
 10.4(a)     Amendment to Office Lease between Visio Corporation and             
             Sixth & Pike Associates, L.P. dated June 13, 1996                   ***
 10.5        Office Lease between Shapeware International Limited and             
             Irish Airlines Pensions Limited dated March 25, 1995                 * 
 10.6        Master Lease Agreement between Visio Corporation and                 
             Comdisco, Inc. dated February 23, 1993                               * 
 10.7        Registration Rights Agreement among Visio Corporation and            
             the Investors, as defined therein, dated as of April 11, 
             1991, as amended                                                     *
 10.8        Warrant Agreement dated as of February 23, 1993 between Visio        
             Corporation and Comdisco, Inc.                                       * 
 10.9        Common Stock Purchase Warrant issued April 22, 1994 to Gary          
             Gigot                                                                * 
 10.10       Loan and Security Agreement between Silicon Valley Bank and          
             Visio Corporation  dated January 26, 1994, as amended                * 
 10.10(a)    Amendment to the Loan and Security Agreement between Silicon         
             Valley Bank and Visio Corporation dated April 3, 1996                ***
 10.11       Form of Indemnification Agreement for directors and officers         *
 10.12+      Distribution Agreement dated as of December 14, 1992, as             
             amended, between Visio Corporation and Merisel, Inc.                 * 
 10.13+      Distributor Agreement dated as of November 2, 1992, as amended,      
             between Visio Corporation and Ingram Micro, Inc.                     * 
 10.14+      Reseller Agreement dated as of August 8, 1993, as amended,           
             between Visio Corporation and Egghead, Inc.                          *
 10.15+      Distribution Agreement dated as of January 1, 1995, between          
             Visio Corporation and ASCII Corporation                              *
 10.15(a)+   Agreement for the Amendment of Distribution Agreement dated         
             January 15, 1996, between Visio Corporation and ASCII
             Corporation                                                         ** 
 10.16+      License Agreement dated as of July 10, 1995                          *
 10.17+      Distribution Agreement dated September 25, 1996, between 
             Visio Corporation and ASCII Something Good Corporation             xxxx
 10.18       Office Lease between Visio International Limited and Erin
             Executor & Trustee Co. Limited dated August 20, 1996               xxxx
 11.1        Computation of Earnings Per Share
 21.1        Subsidiaries of the registrant                                        
 23.1        Consent of Ernst & Young LLP
 24.1        Power of Attorney                                                  xxxx
 27.1        Financial Data Schedule, which is submitted electronically to
             the Securities and Exchange Commission for information
             purposes only and not filed.                                       xxxxx
</TABLE>

-------------

*        Filed as an exhibit to the registrant's Registration Statement on Form
         S-1 (Registration No. 33-96986) effective November 9, 1995 and
         incorporated herein by reference.

**       Filed as an exhibit to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for
         the quarterly period ended March 31, 1996 and incorporated herein by
         reference.

***      Filed as an exhibit to the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for
         the quarterly period ended June 30, 1996 and incorporated herein by
         reference.

xxxx     Previously filed.

xxxxx    Previously submitted.

+        Confidential treatment.