Overview
Effective data visualization is about more than just making charts look good; it's about communicating information clearly and efficiently. Principles of data visualization help designers choose the right chart types, use color effectively, and avoid misleading the audience.
Core Principles
- Know Your Audience: Tailor the complexity and tone to the viewers.
- Choose the Right Chart: Match the visualization to the data relationship (e.g., comparison, distribution, trend).
- Simplify: Remove 'chart junk' and focus on the data.
- Use Color Purposefully: Use color to highlight important information or represent categories, not just for decoration.
- Provide Context: Use titles, labels, and annotations to explain what the data shows.
Goal
To enable the viewer to gain insights and make decisions quickly and accurately.