!"#" %&'(")&*"#&+, -.

/01)&'#

1hls checkllsL ls meanL Lo be used as a gulde for Lhe developmenL of hlgh lmpacL daLa vlsuallzaLlons. 8aLe each aspecL of Lhe daLa vlsuallzaLlon by clrcllng Lhe
mosL approprlaLe number, where 2 polnLs means Lhe guldellne was fully meL, 1 means lL was parLlally meL, and 0 means lL was noL meL aL all. n/a should noL
be used frequenLly, buL reserved for when Lhe guldellne Lruly does noL apply. lor example, a ple charL has no axes llnes or Llck marks Lo raLe. 8efer Lo Lhe
uaLa vlsuallzaLlon AnaLomy CharL on Lhe lasL page for guldance on vocabulary.



2(&3/)&,/

4"#&,5
6/7#

Craphs don'L conLaln
much LexL, so exlsLlng
LexL musL encapsulaLe
your message and
pack a punch.
89:; <+=3 3/'0=&>#&?/ #&#)/ &' )/@#9A('#&@&/3 &, (>>/= )/@# 0+=,/= 2 1 0 n/a
ShorL LlLles enable readers Lo comprehend Lakeaway messages even whlle qulckly sklmmlng Lhe graph. 8aLher
Lhan a generlc phrase, use a descrlpLlve senLence LhaL encapsulaLes Lhe graph's flndlng or so whaL?" WesLern
culLures sLarL readlng ln Lhe upper lefL, so locaLe Lhe LlLle Lhere.


B(C#&#)/ ",3D+= ",,+#"#&+,' >=+?&3/ "33&#&+,") &,@+=E"#&+, 2 1 0 n/a
SubLlLles and annoLaLlons (call-ouL LexL wlLhln Lhe graph) can add explanaLory and lnLerpreLlve power Lo a
graph. use Lhem Lo answer quesLlons a vlewer mlghL have or Lo hlghllghL one or Lwo daLa polnLs.


6/7# '&*/ &' .&/="=0.&0") ",3 =/"3"C)/ 2 1 0 n/a
1lLles are ln a larger slze Lhan subLlLles or annoLaLlons, whlch are larger Lhan labels, whlch are larger Lhan axls
labels, whlch are larger Lhan source lnformaLlon. 1he smallesL LexL - axls labels - are aL leasL 9 polnL fonL slze on
paper, aL leasL 20 on screen.


6/7# &' .+=&*+,#") 2 1 0 n/a
1lLles, subLlLles, annoLaLlons, and daLa labels are horlzonLal (noL verLlcal or dlagonal). Llne labels and axls labels
can devlaLe from Lhls rule and sLlll recelve full polnLs.


!"#" "=/ )"C/)/3 3&=/0#)F 2 1 0 n/a
oslLlon daLa labels near Lhe daLa raLher Lhan ln a separaLe legend (e.g., on Lop of or nexL Lo bars or ple sllces,
and nexL Lo llnes ln llne charLs). LllmlnaLe/embed legends when posslble because eye movemenL back and
forLh beLween Lhe legend and Lhe daLa can lnLerrupL Lhe braln's aLLempLs Lo lnLerpreL Lhe graph.


G"C/)' "=/ ('/3 '>"=&,5)F 2 1 0 n/a
locus aLLenLlon by removlng Lhe redundancy. lor example, ln llne charLs, label every oLher year on an axls.


by SLephanle Lvergreen & Ann k. Lmery
May 2014
H==",5/E/,#

lmproper arrangemenL
of graph elemenLs can
confuse readers aL besL
and mlslead vlewer aL
worsL. 1houghLful
arrangemenL makes a
daLa vlsuallzaLlon
easler for a vlewer Lo
lnLerpreL.
I=+>+=#&+,' "=/ "00(="#/ 2 1 0 n/a
A vlewer should be able Lo Lake a ruler Lo measure Lhe lengLh or area of Lhe graph and flnd LhaL lL maLches Lhe
relaLlonshlp ln Lhe underlylng daLa.


!"#" "=/ &,#/,#&+,"))F +=3/=/3 2 1 0 n/a
uaLa should be dlsplayed ln an order LhaL makes loglcal sense Lo Lhe vlewer. uaLa may be ordered by
frequency counLs (e.g., from greaLesL Lo leasL for nomlnal caLegorles), by grouplngs or blns (e.g., hlsLograms),
by Llme perlod (e.g., llne charLs), alphabeLlcally, eLc.


H7&' &,#/=?")' "=/ /J(&3&'#",# 2 1 0 n/a
1he spaces beLween axls lnLervals should be Lhe same unlL, even lf every axls lnLerval lsn'L labeled.


2=">. &' #<+93&E/,'&+,") 2 1 0 n/a
Avold Lhree-dlmenslonal dlsplays, bevels, and oLher dlsLorLlons.


!&'>)"F &' @=// @=+E 3/0+="#&+, 2 1 0 n/a
Craph ls free from cllparL or oLher lllusLraLlons used solely for decoraLlon. Some graphlcs, llke lcons, can
supporL lnLerpreLaLlon.






-+)+=

keep culLure-laden
color connoLaLlons ln
mlnd. lor example,
plnk ls hlghly
assoclaLed wlLh
femlnlne quallLles ln
Lhe uSA.

use slLes llke Color
8rewer Lo flnd color
schemes sulLable for
reprlnLlng ln black-and-
whlLe and for
colorbllndness.
-+)+= '0./E/ &' &,#/,#&+,") 2 1 0 n/a
Colors should represenL brand or oLher lnLenLlonal cholce, noL defaulL color schemes. A safe beL for
consulLanLs ls Lo use your cllenL's colors. use onllne Lools Lo ldenLlfy brand colors and oLhers LhaL are
compaLlble.


-+)+= &' ('/3 #+ .&5.)&5.# 1/F >"##/=,' 2 1 0 n/a
AcLlon colors should gulde Lhe vlewer Lo key parLs of Lhe dlsplay. Less lmporLanL or supporLlng daLa should be a
muLed color.


-+)+= &' )/5&C)/ <./, >=&,#/3 &, C)"01 ",3 <.&#/ 2 1 0 n/a
When prlnLed or phoLocopled ln black and whlLe, Lhe vlewer should sLlll be able Lo see paLLerns ln Lhe daLa.


-+)+= &' )/5&C)/ @+= >/+>)/ <&#. 0+)+=C)&,3,/'' 2 1 0 n/a
Avold red-green and yellow-blue comblnaLlons when Lhose colors Louch one anoLher.


6/7# '(@@&0&/,#)F 0+,#="'#' C"015=+(,3 2 1 0 n/a
8lack/very dark LexL agalnsL a whlLe/LransparenL background ls easlesL Lo read.


G&,/'

Lxcesslve llnes-
grldllnes, borders, Llck
marks, and axes-can
add cluLLer or nolse Lo
a graph, so ellmlnaLe
Lhem whenever Lhey
aren'L useful for
lnLerpreLlng Lhe daLa.
2=&3)&,/'K &@ >=/'/,#K "=/ E(#/3 2 1 0 n/a
Color should be falnL gray, noL black. lull polnLs lf no grldllnes are used.


2=">. 3+/' ,+# ."?/ C+=3/= )&,/ 2 1 0 n/a
Craph should bleed lnLo Lhe surroundlng page or sllde raLher Lhan belng conLalned by a border.


H7/' 3+ ,+# ."?/ (,,/0/''"=F #&01 E"=1' 2 1 0 n/a
1lck marks are useful ln llne graphs (Lo demarcaLe each polnL ln Llme along Lhe y-axls) buL unnecessary ln bar
charLs.


2=">. ."' +,/ .+=&*+,#") ",3 +,/ ?/=#&0") "7&' 2 1 0 n/a
vlewers can besL lnLerpreL one x- and one y-axls, even lf one ls hldden. uon'L add a second y-axls.



L?/="))

Craphs wlll caLch a
vlewer's aLLenLlon so
only vlsuallze Lhe daLa
LhaL needs aLLenLlon.
1oo many graphlcs of
unlmporLanL
lnformaLlon dlluLe Lhe
power of vlsuallzaLlon.
2=">. .&5.)&5.#' '&5,&@&0",# @&,3&,5 += 0+,0)('&+, 2 1 0 n/a
Craphs should have a "so whaL?" - elLher a pracLlcal or sLaLlsLlcal slgnlflcance (or boLh) Lo warranL Lhelr
presence.


6./ #F>/ +@ 5=">. &' ">>=+>=&"#/ @+= 3"#" 2 1 0 n/a
uaLa are dlsplayed uslng a graph Lype approprlaLe for Lhe relaLlonshlp wlLhln Lhe daLa. lor example, change
over Llme ls dlsplayed as a llne graph, area charL, slope graph, or doL ploL.


2=">. ."' ">>=+>=&"#/ )/?/) +@ >=/0&'&+, 2 1 0 n/a
lew numerlc labels need declmal places. When preclslon ls lmporLanL, choose a Lype of graph Lype LhaL
dlsplays dlfferences Lhrough lengLh or polnLs along a llne (e.g., bar charLs, doL ploLs). When preclslon ls less
lmporLanL, you can use a graph LhaL dlsplays dlfferences Lhrough angles or area (e.g., ple charLs, clrcle charLs).


-+,#/7#(")&*/3 += 0+E>"=&'+, 3"#" "=/ >=/'/,# 2 1 0 n/a
Comparlsons-over Llme, across programs or subgroups of parLlclpanLs, eLc.-help Lhe vlewer undersLand Lhe
slgnlflcance of Lhe daLa.


M,3&?&3(") 0."=# /)/E/,#' <+=1 #+5/#./= #+ =/&,@+=0/ #./ +?/="=0.&,5 #"1/"<"F E/''"5/ 2 1 0 n/a
Cholces abouL graph Lype, LexL, arrangemenL, color, and llnes should relnforce Lhe same Lakeaway message.






lor more supporL, check ouL:

AnnkLmery.com/blog
SLephanleLvergreen.com/blog
SLephanle Lvergreen's book, !"#$#%&'%( *+&+ ,--#.&'/#01
B0+=/N OOOOOOOO D OOOOOOOO P OOOOOOOO Q


Well-formaLLed daLa vlsuallzaLlons score beLween 90-100 of avallable polnLs.
AL Lhls level, vlewers are beLLer able Lo read, lnLerpreL, and reLaln conLenL.

!"#" %&'(")&*"#&+, H,"#+EF -."=#

Confused by Lhe Lermlnology? 8evlew Lhe anaLomy charLs below for lllusLraLlon of whaL's whaL.


legend
border
"#
Llck marks
grldllnes
subLlLle
LlLle
daLa
labels
numerlc
labels
acLlon
color