Catalog

Guideline Catalog

Browse visualization guideline records with sections, labels, and references.

781 records

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  1. Adapt framing and format to the publication outlet

    For explanatory publishing across outlets, prefer outlet-specific framing and format on charts and graphic layouts to improve readability and mitigate one-size-fits-all message mismatches for audiences reading visuals in social, mobile, print, or report contexts.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:rhetorical
    • task:distribute
    • quality:readability
    • lever:layout-structure
    • +1

  2. Adapt visual complexity to stakeholder abilities and interests

    For policy design workflows with heterogeneous stakeholders, use adaptive visual structure on user-facing interfaces to improve readability and mitigate one-size-fits-all complexity for mixed-knowledge participants.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • quality:readability:use
    • lever:layout-structure
    • communication:workflow
    • +1

  3. Add 3-D depth cues when later recall is the goal

    For delayed recall of quantitative findings, use added 3-D depth cues on line or bar charts of 2-D data to maximize memorability and address flat renderings that do not stand out for viewers who must remember the figure later.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • lever:encoding
    • communication:resonance
    • quality:aesthetics
    • +1

  4. Add a graphical prediction step before revealing uncertainty

    For uncertainty estimation from a single reported experiment, use a prediction-before-reveal interaction on interactive uncertainty displays to improve fidelity and address weak transfer from one experiment to judgments about another for statistically novice readers.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • scope:single-result
    • lever:interaction-access
    • operator:uncertainty
    • +3

  5. Add a human-readable data table when the chart alone does not convey all relevant information

    For exact reading of chart values, use a companion human-readable data table on charts whose title, summary, context, or annotations do not already convey all relevant information to improve accessibility and mitigate chart-only presentations for users who need different ways to consume information.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:accessibility
    • chart:table:use
    • structure:multi-view:use
    • quality:accessibility
    • +2

  6. Add a low-center-bias subset panel

    For grouped-result comparisons of fixation-prediction models on center-biased datasets, use a low-center-bias subset panel in a multi-view benchmark to improve fidelity and address over-crediting center-focused models for analysts.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • task:compare
    • scope:grouped-result
    • structure:multi-view
    • +3

  7. Add a non-color encoding to color-coded categories

    For categorical interpretation, use redundant non-color encoding on color-coded marks to improve accessibility and mitigate meaning loss from hue-only distinctions for readers with color-vision deficiencies.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:accessibility
    • data:categorical
    • quality:accessibility
    • lever:encoding
    • +2

  8. Add a numerical scale when readers must judge the mean across bars

    For aggregate reading of grouped results, use a numerical scale on bar charts to improve fidelity and mitigate underestimation of the grand average for readers making quick mean judgments.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • scope:grouped-result
    • chart:bar
    • quality:fidelity
    • +3

  9. Add a remainder node when the treemap must represent the full available total

    For utilization overview of a hierarchical total, use a remainder node at the treemap root to improve fidelity and address displays that omit unused capacity for users reading percentage of total use.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • chart:treemap
    • data:hierarchical
    • quality:fidelity
    • +2

  10. Add a settle-to-group transition before comparing scattered risk arrays

    For compare tasks on scattered icon-array risk graphics, use a settle-to-group transition on multi-view risk displays to improve magnitude judgments and mitigate the poor accuracy of scattered-only layouts for mixed-numeracy audiences.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • task:compare
    • structure:multi-view
    • quality:fidelity
    • +3

  11. Add a single highlight and annotation for the intended message

    For explanatory charts viewed briefly in presentations or handouts, use matched highlight color and text annotation on a chosen chart to maximize recall of one intended data pattern and address unguided interpretation for viewers reading quickly.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • quality:insight
    • lever:text-annotation
    • component:annotation:use
    • +3

  12. Add a small set of noncolor cues when color alone is not enough

    For multi-category charts where color alone is insufficient, use a small set of noncolor indicators on marks to improve accessibility and mitigate category confusion for readers who may not distinguish colors well.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • lever:encoding
    • access:noncolor:use
    • needs:color-vision-deficiency
    • +2

  13. Add a summary column for the main comparison

    For comparison in record-list tables, use a row-level summary column on the table to improve insight and mitigate forcing readers to infer the main answer from multiple detail columns for readers scanning spreadsheet-like tables.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • task:compare
    • scope:record-list
    • chart:table
    • +3

  14. Add a visible progress tracker for multi-step narratives

    For ordered narrative walkthroughs, use a progress tracker on multi-frame presentations to improve readability and mitigate loss of place for readers moving through sequential sections.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • structure:multi-view
    • quality:readability:use
    • lever:layout-structure
    • +1

  15. Add accompanying text when simplification removes context

    For explanatory visualizations simplified to reduce visual noise, use accompanying text with the chosen chart to improve trust and mitigate lost transparency for viewers.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:rhetorical
    • quality:trust:use
    • lever:text-annotation
    • communication:context

  16. Add an action threshold and action guidance to a risk ladder

    For single-result risk interpretation in ordered scales, use text annotation on risk ladders to improve insight and mitigate uncertainty about what to do when a specific action standard exists.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • lever:text-annotation
    • component:annotation:use
    • communication:context
    • +1

  17. Add an external quantitative scale to a stacked bar for exact part-to-whole estimation

    For exact part-to-whole estimation, prefer an external quantitative scale on stacked bar charts to improve accuracy and address high estimation error for readers judging a highlighted share.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • chart:bar
    • quality:fidelity:use
    • lever:text-annotation
    • +3

  18. Add annotations and highlight ranges to explain area charts

    For explaining change over ordered time, use text annotation on area charts to improve insight and mitigate unexplained patterns for readers trying to understand what is happening.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • time:ordered-time
    • chart:area
    • quality:insight:use
    • +3

  19. Add annotations and place labels to orient readers on a map

    For explanatory reading of a map from a specific point of view, use annotations and place labels on the map to improve insight and mitigate disorientation for readers locating the reference place and likely destinations.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • chart:map
    • data:geospatial
    • quality:insight
    • +3

  20. Add annotations that match both the article topic and the mapped location

    For single-result annotated news maps, use topic- and location-matched text annotations on mapped locations to maximize contextual explanation and address irrelevant annotation content for readers interpreting the map with the article.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • scope:single-result
    • chart:map
    • quality:insight
    • +3

  21. Add baseline risk to every risk-reduction display

    For risk-reduction comparison tasks, use baseline-risk annotation on quantitative risk displays to improve interpretation fidelity and mitigate inflated effect-size judgments for patient audiences.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • task:compare
    • quality:fidelity
    • lever:text-annotation
    • +3

  22. Add boundary lines between adjacent treemap regions that share the same color

    For overview of dense hierarchical treemaps, use boundary lines on same-colored adjacent regions in a treemap to improve readability and prevent neighboring areas from visually merging for users scanning many small rectangles.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • chart:treemap
    • data:hierarchical
    • quality:readability
    • +2

  23. Add category context to tooltip values

    For value lookup in interactive charts and maps, use contextual tooltip text on hovered marks to improve readability and mitigate unlabeled number readouts for readers inspecting exact values.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • quality:readability
    • lever:interaction-access
    • component:tooltip:use
    • +1

  24. Add clarifying annotations to simple charts

    For data-reading tasks, use clarifying annotation on simple charts to improve fidelity and mitigate reading errors for general-public readers with mixed chart familiarity.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:rhetorical
    • quality:fidelity
    • lever:text-annotation
    • component:annotation:use
    • +2