Humanizing Data — Part I (Tables)
By now we are pretty much used to data being everywhere (and expect such). Data should be presented with care, not only for people who find data overwhelming but to generally maximize its benefits as well.
I used to think that data is data. Data everywhere looks and feels the same. Not so. Here are some simple ways to humanize your data:
Don’t Forget About Tables
Yes, tables. They are perhaps the most primitive form (don’t worry-not endangered) of data visualization but are very useful. With numerous columns you can convey a lot more at once (while keeping it simpler) than you can with a chart.
Tables are great but with too many columns and rows, they can quickly become unfriendly. Here are some easy ways to simplify your tables:
- Remove the top/bottom and vertical table borders. These borders seem harmless but they condense the information and cramp the space. Remove them and see how free your table feels.
- Get rid of traditional column headers. With a lot of information and scrolling, it can be difficult to tell which column you are looking at (read about sticky tables here). Replace traditional headers with column titles centered in each row (underneath the data). The repetition of all the titles may bother some but I think the smaller text size and lighter colour significantly help to balance out the repetition.
After these changes, it feels less like a table and more like just viewing some (floating) data (that is neatly held together).
- Limit the amount of information shown at once. With a traditional table there is simply a limit on how much data you can show at one time. Cramming too many columns and rows into your tables will make it hard on your users to extract the meaningful data they seek. With customizable column headers (for tables specifically), you can keep it brief while leaving the breadth of your data available.
Enjoying reading about designing for data? Head on over to Humanizing Data-Part II.
