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Guideline Catalog

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

781 records

Page 22 of 33

  1. Split opposing dual-axis time series into separate views

    For exact value retrieval in multi-measure ordered-time charts, prefer a multi-view layout over a single-view dual-axis layout to improve fidelity and mitigate value-readout errors for general readers.

    • purpose:select
    • basis:empirical
    • task:retrieve
    • time:ordered-time
    • structure:small-multiples:use
    • +4

  2. Split overlapping time series into small multiples

    For trend comparison over ordered time with many overlapping series, prefer a small-multiple layout on line charts to improve readability and mitigate spaghetti-line overlap for general audiences.

    • purpose:select
    • basis:heuristic
    • task:trend
    • time:ordered-time
    • structure:small-multiples:use
    • +4

  3. Split overlapping time series into small-multiple panels

    For trend reading over ordered time, use small-multiple structure on multi-series line charts with overlapping lines to improve readability and mitigate line-crossing confusion for readers scanning each category separately.

    • purpose:select
    • basis:heuristic
    • task:trend
    • time:ordered-time
    • structure:small-multiples:use
    • +3

  4. Spread party hues apart when many parties appear together

    For compare tasks in grouped election-result reporting, use clearly separated party hues on charts and maps with many concurrently shown parties to improve readability and mitigate confusion from overlapping colors for readers scanning election results.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • task:compare
    • group-cardinality:many
    • quality:readability
    • +3

  5. Stack bar segments to show part-whole structure

    For part-whole reading in categorical composition displays, use stacking in bar charts to improve readability and mitigate separate-part interpretations for readers.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • chart:bar
    • data:categorical
    • operator:part-whole
    • +2

  6. Stage chart-type and zoom transitions

    For ordered narrative transitions, use staged transitions on changing chart views to improve readability and mitigate viewer disorientation for readers following animated updates.

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

  7. Start the y-axis at zero when values are read from the baseline

    For at-a-glance magnitude comparison, use a zero y-axis on charts where values are read from the baseline to improve fidelity and mitigate exaggerated differences for readers relying on visual gist.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • task:compare
    • quality:fidelity
    • lever:scale-order
    • +3

  8. Start with linear interpolation when values are evenly distributed or when outliers should stand out

    For initial interpolation review on regional maps with fairly even values or deliberate outlier emphasis, use linear interpolation on choropleth color scales to improve fidelity and address premature redistribution of the scale for designers evaluating alternatives.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • chart:choropleth
    • data:geospatial
    • quality:fidelity
    • +3

  9. State the chart's practical question in the title

    For explanatory reading of a chart built to answer a concrete practical question, use the title on the chart to improve insight and mitigate purpose ambiguity for readers encountering the visualization on its own.

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

  10. State the data source, collection method, processing, and omissions

    For explanatory communication, use provenance and methodology text on visualization captions or notes to improve trust and address credibility doubts from unexplained sources, processing, and omissions for viewers assessing whether the visualization is reliable.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:rhetorical
    • quality:trust
    • lever:text-annotation
    • communication:credibility
    • +1

  11. State the main comparison in the title

    For comparison in tables, use an explicit message title on the table to improve readability and mitigate hiding the analytical goal from readers.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • task:compare
    • chart:table
    • quality:readability
    • +3

  12. State the main message in the title, subtitle, or caption

    For explanatory communication on dense or easily misread charts, use a message-bearing title, subtitle, or caption on the chart to improve readability and mitigate vague or incorrect interpretation for readers without other framing text.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:rhetorical
    • quality:readability
    • lever:text-annotation
    • communication:framing
    • +1

  13. State the main takeaway in chart annotations

    For explanatory reading, use explicit text annotations on charts to improve first-pass understanding and mitigate missed or misread takeaways for readers who will not spend time exploring the graphic.

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

  14. State the value in text instead of drawing a two-slice pie chart

    For binary part-whole communication on a single total, use text instead of a pie chart to improve readability and mitigate charting a second value that is only the remainder to 100% for readers.

    • purpose:select
    • basis:heuristic
    • chart:text:use
    • chart:pie-donut:avoid
    • lever:chart-family
    • +3

  15. Support pairwise relationship queries with explicit attribute selection

    For pairwise relationship analysis of tabular data, use interaction support for explicit attribute selection in an information visualization system to improve insight and address underspecified correlation questions for analysts.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • task:relate
    • data:tabular
    • quality:insight
    • +2

  16. Synchronize time axes across comparable timeline rows

    For cross-row comparison of predictive uncertainty in multi-row timeline views, use a shared axis across rows to improve fidelity and mitigate misleading similarity between differently scaled predictions for quick mobile comparison.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • task:compare
    • structure:small-multiples
    • chart:timeline
    • +3

  17. Teach component names and basic behaviors before the full system explanation

    For explanatory viewing of a causal system, use brief pretraining on component names and behaviors before the full system graphic to improve insight and address overload from learning parts and relations at the same time for viewers with low prior knowledge.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • quality:insight
    • lever:text-annotation
    • communication:workflow
    • +1

  18. Test a chart family with intended readers before keeping it

    For audience-facing explanation, prefer audience-tested chart-family choices on complex or high-dimensional chart forms to prevent misinterpretation and address convention-driven selection for intended readers.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:rhetorical
    • quality:fidelity
    • lever:chart-family
    • communication:workflow

  19. Test chart drafts with target viewers

    For audience-facing draft review, use target-audience testing on chart drafts to improve readability and mitigate creator-audience mismatches for viewers whose interpretation may differ from internal reviewers.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:rhetorical
    • quality:readability
    • lever:interaction-access
    • communication:workflow

  20. Test the palette with a color-vision simulator

    For charts that rely on color differences, use color-vision simulation on the chosen palette to improve accessibility and mitigate undetected color collisions for readers with color-vision deficiency.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:heuristic
    • quality:accessibility
    • lever:encoding
    • needs:color-vision-deficiency
    • +1

  21. Use 3D animated transitions to preserve object constancy between related 2D views

    For transitions between related 2D views of the same records, use 3D animated transitions to improve insight and address label-rereading and motion occlusion during view changes for readers tracking items across representations.

    • purpose:refine
    • basis:empirical
    • task:relate
    • quality:insight
    • lever:interaction-access
    • +1

  22. Use a 2D histogram when scatter points overlap heavily

    For showing relationships in dense point data, prefer a 2D histogram over a scatter plot to improve insight and mitigate patterns getting lost in overlapping dots for readers.

    • purpose:select
    • basis:heuristic
    • task:relate
    • chart:histogram:use
    • chart:scatter:avoid
    • +3

  23. Use a bar chart for comparisons across discrete groups

    For comparing values across discrete groups, use a bar chart instead of a line chart on categorical data to improve fidelity and mitigate false trend interpretations for readers relying on common graph conventions.

    • purpose:select
    • basis:empirical
    • task:compare
    • chart:bar:use
    • chart:line:avoid
    • +3

  24. Use a bar chart instead of a bubble-style scatter chart for one-dimensional comparisons

    For one-dimensional comparison tasks, use a bar chart instead of a bubble-style scatter chart on simple comparison displays to improve readability and address interpretation difficulty for general audiences.

    • purpose:select
    • basis:rhetorical
    • task:compare
    • chart:bar:use
    • chart:scatter:avoid
    • +3