Humanizing Data — Part II (Charts)

In Part I, we dove into tables. Charts, however, are a lot more graphical and can help make data clearer (and if done wrong, sometimes worse). Here are some tips for creating friendlier (bar) charts:

• Add horizontal lines. Adding horizontal lines onto the chart makes it more 3D-like and real. This makes the data more tangible and easier to connect with. (Also, makes it easier to decipher the values on the chart.)
• Put values on the bars. With coloured bars we put the values in white on the bars themselves; highlighting the exact values of each bar. At an instant, the chart becomes much easier to understand.
• Limit the amount of information shown at once. Sound familiar? Well it is (regarding tables in Part I). Here are two ways to minimize the amount you are showing users at once, while still offering that information: a) Toggle b) Dropdown. With either of these options (as you can see below), you can tuck your data away slightly without losing your data options.

A Chart with both filtering options

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