Catalog

Guideline Catalog

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

781 records

Page 15 of 33

  1. Organize linked data by semantic relations during information foraging

    For information foraging on heterogeneous linked data, use semantic organization on interactive exploration views to improve insight and mitigate overwhelming undifferentiated access for analysts.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • data:network
    • quality:insight:use
    • lever:layout-structure
    • +2

  2. Outline text that overlaps chart elements

    For labels and annotations placed over chart elements, use a text outline on overlapping text to improve readability and mitigate low-contrast letter edges for readers viewing text on marks or gridlines.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • quality:readability
    • lever:text-annotation
    • channel:text:use
    • +1

  3. Overlay explicit outlier markers for interval outlier counts

    For outlier-count comparisons over grouped time intervals, use explicit outlier overlays on color-based time-series summaries to improve fidelity and mitigate missed unusual values for viewers comparing interval outlier frequency.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • task:distribute
    • time:time-interval
    • chart:heatmap
    • +3

  4. Overlay paired bar series to improve largest-change comparison

    For difference comparison between two paired quantitative series, use an overlaid layout on bar charts to improve fidelity and mitigate missed largest-change judgments for brief visual comparison.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • task:compare
    • chart:bar
    • quality:fidelity:use
    • +3

  5. Overlay paired slope series to improve largest-change comparison

    For difference comparison between two paired quantitative series, use an overlaid layout on slope charts to improve fidelity and mitigate missed largest-change judgments for brief visual comparison.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • task:compare
    • chart:line
    • quality:fidelity:use
    • +3

  6. Overlay slope charts for biggest-mover comparison

    For comparison of two quantitative series in a biggest-mover task, prefer an overlaid layout on slope charts to improve fidelity and mitigate missed largest-change judgments for viewers comparing one pair at a time.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • task:compare
    • chart:line
    • lever:layout-structure
    • +3

  7. Paginate article tables that exceed one desktop screen

    For long tables embedded in articles, use pagination on tables to improve page flow and mitigate readers missing the continuation below for readers scrolling on desktop screens.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • chart:table
    • quality:readability
    • lever:interaction-access
    • +2

  8. Pair a 3D overview with linked 2D detail views for precise reading

    For compare tasks on complex 3D data spaces, use a multi-view layout with a 3D overview and linked 2D slices to improve fidelity and address imprecise direct reading from a 3D-only single view for readers who need both context and exact values.

    • purpose:select
    • basis:empirical
    • task:compare
    • structure:multi-view:use
    • structure:single-view:avoid
    • +3

  9. Pair blue with orange or red when hue must distinguish categories

    For few-category comparisons, prefer blue paired with orange or red on color-encoded marks to improve distinguishability and mitigate confusing same-lightness hue pairings for readers with color-vision deficiency.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • quality:accessibility
    • lever:encoding
    • group-cardinality:few
    • +3

  10. Pair different open and closed shape categories in dense mixed scatterplots

    For numerosity and linear-relationship judgments in dense single-view scatterplots, prefer mixing open and closed shape categories in the symbol encoding on multi-class plots to improve speed and accuracy and mitigate within-category symbol confusion for viewers distinguishing heterogeneous mark sets.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • chart:scatter
    • data:categorical
    • density:dense
    • +3

  11. Pair one open shape with one closed shape for anomaly reading in mixed scatterplots

    For anomaly-style reading in single-view scatterplots, prefer mixed open and closed shape encodings on heterogeneous point displays to improve fidelity and mitigate within-category interference in dense point clouds for readers scanning grouped points.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • chart:scatter
    • quality:fidelity
    • lever:encoding
    • +3

  12. Pair relative effect claims with absolute effect summaries

    For communicating single treatment-effect results, use text annotations that include absolute effect summaries on quantitative result displays to improve fidelity and mitigate overstatement of intervention benefit for domain-expert decision makers.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • scope:single-result
    • data:quantitative
    • quality:fidelity
    • +3

  13. Pair uncertainty numbers with study-validity notes

    For communicating uncertain estimates, use validity annotations alongside numeric summaries on charts, tables, or boxed results to improve trust and address readers' need to infer unseen sources of uncertainty.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • quality:trust:use
    • lever:text-annotation
    • operator:uncertainty
    • +3

  14. Permute colorfield cells within known intervals for average judgments

    For overview comparison of averages across predetermined intervals in ordered time series, use within-interval permutation on a colorfield display to improve judgment fidelity and address difficulty on close or noisy interval comparisons for viewers making aggregate assessments.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • task:compare
    • time:ordered-time
    • chart:heatmap
    • +3

  15. Place choropleth maps side by side when comparing multiple parties

    For comparing multiple groups across the same districts, use a small-multiple layout instead of a single choropleth map to improve insight and mitigate one-map overload for readers scanning regional patterns.

    • purpose:select
    • basis:heuristic
    • task:compare
    • structure:small-multiples:use
    • structure:single-view:avoid
    • +4

  16. Place compared stacked-bar segments on the baseline

    For compare tasks, prefer baseline-aligned segment placement on stacked bar charts to improve fidelity and mitigate top-of-stack length judgments for readers ranking quantitative parts.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • task:compare
    • chart:bar
    • quality:fidelity:use
    • +2

  17. Place core data restatements directly on the chart

    For explanatory reading of charts with a simple, strong takeaway, use text annotations on the chart itself to improve readability and mitigate distant restatements of the core data for readers who need the main comparison immediately.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • quality:readability
    • lever:text-annotation
    • component:annotation:use
    • +1

  18. Place labels and annotations next to the marks they explain

    For lookup and explanation tasks, use nearby labels and annotations on charts to improve readability and mitigate back-and-forth legend or text lookup for readers scanning a single display.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • quality:readability:use
    • lever:text-annotation
    • operator:lookup
    • +3

  19. Place labels next to the marks they explain

    For quick lookup on color-coded charts, prefer nearby labels over separated legends to improve readability and mitigate repeated eye-travel for readers scanning the graphic.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • quality:readability
    • lever:text-annotation
    • component:label:use
    • +1

  20. Place printed words next to the graphic elements they describe

    For explanatory viewing with printed text and graphics, use adjacent text placement on diagrams or animations to improve readability and mitigate visual scanning between separated text and graphics for viewers matching words to pictured parts.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • quality:readability
    • lever:layout-structure
    • component:label:use

  21. Place small-slice labels outside the pie chart

    For pie charts with small slices or long labels, use outside labels on the chart to improve readability and mitigate hard-to-label wedges for readers.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • chart:pie-donut
    • lever:text-annotation
    • component:label:use
    • +2

  22. Place the most important area on the baseline and highlight it with color

    For multi-series area charts over ordered time, use baseline order on the stacked areas to improve readability and mitigate hard comparisons for readers following one key series.

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

  23. Place the most important segment at the bottom of the stack

    For part-to-whole comparison in stacked column charts, use stack order to place the most important segment on the shared baseline to improve readability and mitigate hard comparisons of floating segments for readers comparing one key part across totals.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • chart:bar
    • operator:part-whole
    • quality:readability
    • +1

  24. Place the primary quantitative field on the x-axis in row-faceted point plots

    For exact lookup and maximum search, prefer x-axis assignment for the primary quantitative field on row-faceted point plots to improve fidelity and mitigate slow misaligned cross-panel comparisons for readers scanning multiple panels.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • quality:fidelity:use
    • lever:encoding
    • operator:lookup
    • +3