This is the fourth in a series of articles that illustrate how basic design principles can improve information display. The previous article focused on cleaning up the details of chart design. Here, we’ll talk about how to define the audience for your chart.

People often come to me wanting to know which visualization is the best one for their situation. Before you pick a chart type or visualization approach, it’s important to understand the context in which the chart will be used. …

This is the second in a series of articles that illustrate how basic design principles can improve information display. In the previous article, we looked at how whitespace can improve the overall clarity and readability of a restaurant menu. In the next installment, we will look at the details of chart design. Here, we’ll use small changes to whitespace and text hierarchy to improve the overall design of a data dashboard.

This example is an actual dashboard that I found online, redrawn and edited to anonymize the information:

This article focuses on the page layout and text hierarchy, to show how we can use whitespace and text headings to clarify the content of the page. It does not get into visualization choices and recommendations. The goal here is not to re-design or completely change the dashboard, but to work with its existing contents to improve the visual display with a few minimally-invasive changes. At the moment, it’s hard to tell how the page is organized, or what sequence the information should have. A few small tweaks will clarify the page layout and make the dashboard much…

This is the second in a series of articles that illustrate how basic design principles can improve information display. In the previous article, we looked at how whitespace can improve the overall clarity and readability of a restaurant menu. In the next installment, we will look at the details of chart design. Here, we’ll use small changes to whitespace and text hierarchy to improve the overall design of a data dashboard.

This example is an actual dashboard that I found online, redrawn and edited to anonymize the information:

This article focuses on the page layout and text hierarchy, to show how we can use whitespace and text headings to clarify the content of the page. It does not get into visualization choices and recommendations. The goal here is not to re-design or completely change the dashboard, but to work with its existing contents to improve the visual display with a few minimally-invasive changes. At the moment, it’s hard to tell how the page is organized, or what sequence the information should have. A few small tweaks will clarify the page layout and make the dashboard much…

This is the first in a series of articles that illustrate how basic design principles can improve information display. The next installment will apply some of these same principles to a visualization dashboard.

“How do you use whitespace?”

This is one of the most frequent questions that I get as a designer, especially from people who need to create information-dense displays like a dashboard or interactive display. Whitespace is the blank area between items on the page, and it is very important in helping information feel clear, organized, and accessible.

Whitespace is the punctuation between visual elements. In the same way that a pause between notes is sometimes most important part of a piece of music — allowing the listener to really hear, absorb, and respond to the notes — the space between visual elements can set the tone for how a user feels about an information display. Used well, white space gives readers the opportunity to pause and take a breath. …

This is the third in a series of articles that illustrate how basic design principles can improve information display. Previous articles focused on whitespace and establishing page hierarchy, and the next will discuss different considerations for choosing between chart types. Here, we’ll get into the details of how to optimize a chart display.

“Good information design works like a tour guide, telling the user what matters most and where to go from here.”

Every design system is the result of competition between different constraints. You may need to adhere to specific space constraints or charting libraries, support a particular kind of information, or satisfy a strong brand or aesthetic. A good design solution balances these competing influences to support a specific user task. For a chart, the primary task is analytical: a user must be able to read and understand the data. For this reason, data visualization design prioritizes quantitative accuracy and emphasizes clarity and legibility over other considerations. …

As a data vis designer living in both the art and data worlds, I sometimes hear that I should “just go wild” or “let my hair down” to produce more exciting, visually engaging graphics that feel more fun. On the other hand, I also hear that data visualization is a serious discipline with a purpose, where clarity and accurate interpretation trump all other concerns.

So, which is it? (Spoiler: maybe both!)

The difference between data vis and data art

To me, data vis is like a guide dog: staid, disciplined, and faithfully focused on the task at hand. Data vis has a job to do. Data art is more like a puppy: energetic, enthusiastic and playful, fearlessly exploring the possibilities of the medium and the moment — an expression of pure, kinetic joy. The guide dog and the puppy can even be the same animal, at different times. …