The seven mistakes
Most visualization problems are not about aesthetics; they make information harder to understand. Here are seven that appear frequently.
- Using the wrong chart type for the question being asked
- Overloading a single chart with too many series
- Relying on color alone to convey meaning
- Truncating axes in ways that exaggerate change
- Leaving charts unlabeled or without context
- Using inconsistent colors across a report
- Adding decoration that competes with the data
Guiding principles
A few principles help avoid most of these issues: choose the chart that fits the question, label clearly, use color with purpose, and remove anything that does not help the reader.
Key takeaways
- Chart choice should match the question.
- Color and labeling carry meaning and should be used deliberately.
- Removing clutter improves comprehension.
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