Data visualizations can be very effective when comparing two or more numbers. They are a great way to showcase data and to convey a story through numbers. But conveying a story efficiently through data visualizations is not as simple as putting together a quick graph in Excel. There are many ways in which data visualizations can actually distract readers from the message or leave them feeling confused; when used properly they can be a powerful tool that can enhance your data. The video below illustrates how certain aspects of design such as color, size and orientation can enhance your data visualizations.
While researching data visualizations comparing numbers, I came across two examples that stood out to me. This first visualization illustrates a poorly designed bar graph that has been overly labelled.
The graph to the left is distracting and there are several components that are fighting for the readers attention compared to the graph on the right that is simple and straight to the point. In this case, a horizontal bar graph which allows the reader to quickly read the information from left to right is a better choice than the vertical bar graph. Simplifying the graph by taking away the gridlines as well as some of the axis labels helps to reduce some of the clutter in the first graph.
The graph below is another visualization that stood out to me.
When creating charts or graphs, people tend to feel the need to distinguish each category with different colors (I know that this is definitely something I do as well). Comparing these two charts side by side, you can see how using different shades of a single color can be more effective than using 5 different colors to differentiate categories; keep in mind to make sure the shades are not too similar. Adding extra “design” elements to the chart is also unnecessary at times such as the black border around the pie graph and the pattern in the “mediocre” slice. By taking away some of these “chart junk” elements, the graph becomes more simplified and can be interpreted quickly and efficiently.
One reply on “Comparing numbers!”
Great post. I like your suggestion about using different shades of a color rather than using various different colors. I think that is more appealing to the eye and can portray a clearer visual. I think a simpler chart is much more clearer than a chaotic chart.