Choosing Fonts for Your Data Visualization

The purpose of data visualization is to provide a layout that relays lots of information quickly. Good visualizations help the user understand complicated data without allowing the design to get in the way. Any text accompanying the graphics should be easy to read to the point that it almost disappears.

In this article, I will be explaining how to pick a highly readable and aesthetically pleasing typeface for your project. I will focus primarily on small text, that is, text in a data visualization that is meant to explain the layout, including labels, callouts, and sources. In order to serve a wider audience, I will only recommend free Google fonts, though there are many good paid options.

Highly Readable Fonts

Highly readable fonts take less brainpower to interpret. Visualizations with good typography have a consistent rhythm. They look like a cohesive unit. Good typography doesn’t grandstand — it explains the content without getting in the way of the user’s experience. Copy should be minimal, parred down to the essentials for comprehension of the graphical elements.

To understand how type is “highly readable” at small sizes, let’s look at a few elements of type.