Data Visualization Design do’s and don’t

In data visualization, the first thing you need to do is have a clear idea of the data you want to visualize and showing these data in a chart is the quickest and easiest way to visualize information. With a basic understanding on how different data sets should be visualized along with few fundamentals design tips and best practices, you can create a more accurate, more effective data visualizations. Here are some tips to ensure your design does your data justice:

Do’s

• Do use one color to represent each Category

• Do order data sets using their logical hierarchy

• Do use callouts to highlight important or interesting information

• Do visualize data in a way that is easy for readers to compare values

• Do use icons to enhance comprehension and reduce unnecessary labeling.

Don’t

• Don’t use high contrast color combinations such as Red/Green or Blue/Yellow

• Don’t use 3d charts. They can skew perception of the visualization.

• Don’t add chart junk. Unnecessary illustrations, drop shadows, or ornamentations distract from the data.

• Don’t use more than six colors in a single layout.

• Don’t use distracting fonts or elements.

More on these tips can be found in https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/53/file-863940581-pdf/Data_Visualization_101_How_to_Design_Charts_and_Graphs.pdf