Tips and tricks in data visualization — Part 2.

Good data visualization, apart from presenting your data in the best possible way, needs to be easy to understand and adapted to your target audience. Below are some rules that your visualization needs to follow in order to reach its full potential and deliver the message clearly.

Ordering

• Order data

Unordered data can make visualization look unappealing and users may not engage if there is too much effort in comparing the values by themselves. Ordering your data helps users to compare data with less effort and to spot trends more easily.

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Labeling

• Use horizontal labels

To ensure better readability try to follow standard text orientation when adding labels to your visualization.

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• Use value labels when you find it important

Value labels are useful when your visualization is dealing with big numbers. Adding values labels saves users time in getting all the information they need.

Annotating

• Use annotations to highlight data points and add additional information.

Point and line annotations come in handy when you want to highlight and add more information to a single data point.
Range annotations are used to highlight more data values that share something in common, or to point out a trend.
Add color and labels to your annotations to further enrich content.

• Use proper coloring to highlight categories

​Colors may not seem that important when you visualize data, but if you use them properly they can enhance your visualization and spare you some additional explaining. Try to use pastel colors but also pay attention that the colors you choose are accessible for people with visual impairments.

• Use writing according to your target audience

When adding text to your visualization, you should have in mind what type of audience will read it. If the visualization is intended for the general public, try to use simple wording and explanations. For audience of business professionals or academic community, feel free to use business and scientific terminology that you find necessary.