Dos and Don’ts of Data Visualisation
Whether on purpose or not, a statistician can mislead an audience with a chart. This article explains some chart design principles and common mistakes novice data analysts make. Think about the statistical charts you have seen on billboards, in the news, and in research studies. Using these principles as a guide, would you classify any of those charts as misleading? Be sure to take note of the suggestions for successful dashboards.
Make charts easy to read
Do be aware of colour blindness (colour vision deficiency)
Colour blindness, also known as colour vision deficiency (CVD) affects approximately 8 % of men and 0.5 % of women in the world. There are an estimated 300 million colour blind people in the world. Below, is an example of how someone with colour blindness would perceive a chart.
Most colour-blind people can detect contrast: using a combination of light and dark colour makes your design more accessible.
Do not rely just on colour to communicate. Different shapes, patterns and textures can help distinguish between different design elements in your visualisation.
One simple way to optimise your dsign is to avoid using any colour combinations. Use a monochromatic palette in different shades.
There are easy-to-use colour deficiency simulators online to help you test your visualisation, as well as extensions you can add to your browser: