dos and don’ts for the seven most used infographics

DOs and DON'Ts for the seven

most used infographics.

DO DON'T

infographics

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Tim Karsko

Art and Creative Director

Tim Karsko

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1BarCharts

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Bar Charts, vertical (Columns)

January

147

245

62

February March

250

200

150

100

50

0

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Bar Charts, vertical stacked

January February March

250

200

150

100

50

0

Theme 1

Theme 2

Theme 3

Theme 4

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Bar Charts, stacked to 100%

Theme 1

Theme 2

Theme 3

Theme 4January February March

250

200

150

100

50

0

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Theme 1

Theme 2

Theme 3

Theme 4

Bar Charts, horizontal

The quick

Brown fox

Jumps over

350

330

360

200

240

260

140

190

180

80

110

70

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Use horizontal labels

January February

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January FebruaryJa

nu

ary

Feb

ruar

y

Mar

ch


Space bars appropriately1/2


Start the y-axis at value zero

50

0



50

0

52

51

50

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50

0

52

51

50

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Use consistent colours

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Use consistent colours / shadings


Order data appropriately

Apples

Bananas

Lemons



Apples

Bananas

Lemons

Bananas

Lemons

Apples


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2Pie Charts


Standard Pie Chart


Donut Pie Chart (e.g.with logo)

40+30+10+20@


1040+30+10+20Donut Pie Chart, exploded


10+

204030 10Pie Chart, rose-style


Not more than 5 Categories

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25+15+20+30+1040+30+15+10+5Don't use Pie Charts to compare


Better practice: Bar Charts


40+30+20+10Data should always add to 100%

40

30

10

20

40+30+20+10 = 100


40+30+20+1040+30+20+10Data should always add to 100%

3640

2230

310

720

40+30+20+10 = 100 36+22+7+3 = 68

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40+30+20+10 = 100 36+22+7+3 = 68

40+30+20+1040+30+20+10Data should always add to 100%

3640

2230

310

720

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Order the slices neatly: Top down

40+5+10+15+30 1 2

35 4

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Order the slices neatly: Clockwise

40+30+15+10+51

2

3

54


Order the slices neatly

40+30+15+10+510+15+5+30+401 1

2 2

3

3

5

5

44


Do not use >3D<


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3Line Charts


Line Charts

5-1 5-2 5-3 5-4 5-5 5-6 5-7

150

100

50

0


10

0

5

Have a zero line if possible


15

10

5

10

0

5



Try to avoid more than four lines

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Better practice...


Better practice: Splitting


Prefer solid lines

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Prefer solid lines


Except it£s printed in black&white


Except it£s printed in black&white Except it£s printed in black&white


Label the lines directly if possible

Apples

Bananas

Lemons

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Apples

Apples

Bananas

Bananas

Lemons

Lemons


Use an obvious height


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4Area Charts


60+90+50+7030+70+50+8010+35+15+25Area Chart

January February March April

Theme 3

Theme 2

Theme 1

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90+70+80+10075+50+65+5530+25+40+25Area Chart, stacked


Theme 3

Theme 2

Theme 1


75 +50+65+5510+35+15+25Area Chart, stacked to 100%


Theme 3

Theme 2

Theme 1


Make it easy to read


Start your y-axis value at 0

150

50

100

200

0

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150

100

50


150

50

100

200

0


Avoid more than 4 categories


Transparent colours can help

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Not usefull for too discrete data

500

250

0



500

250

0

150

50

100

200

0


150

50

100

200

0


500

250

0


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5 5Scatter Plots


5Scatter Plots

50

40

30

20

10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 110

Theme 3Theme 2Theme 1


Start the y-axis value at 0

50

40

30

20

10

1 2 3 4 50

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50

70

40

60

30

201 2 3 4 5

50

40

30

20

10

1 2 3 4 50


50

40

30

20

10

1 2 3 4 50

Include more variables


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40

30

20

10

1 2 3 4 50

50

40

30

20

10

1 2 3 4 50

Include more variables (e.g. size)


50

40

30

20

10

1 2 3 4 50

Trend lines can be usefull

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50

40

30

20

10

1 2 3 4 50

50

40

30

20

10

1 2 3 4 50

Trend lines can be usefull


Not more than three for comparing

50

40

30

20

10

1 2 3 4 50


Not more than three for comparing Not more than three for comparing

50

40

30

20

10

1 2 3 4 50

50

40

30

20

10

1 2 3 4 50


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6 6Bubble Charts


650

40

30

20

10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 110

Theme 3Theme 2Theme 1

Bubble Plot Chart


Bubble Map Chart

Theme 3

Theme 2

Theme 1


Take care of correct proportions

1x 2x

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1x1x 2x2x


5

4

3

2

1

0€

€

€€

€

€

€

Don't use weird shapes



5

4

3

2

1

0€

€

€€

€

€

€

5

4

3

2

1

0


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7 7Heat Maps


7Heat Maps

Heat MapTheme 1

Theme 2

Theme 3

Theme 4


Heated Tree-Map


Heated Grid


Heated Periodic Table


NWBB

BE

ST

THHE

NIHB

SHHH MV

SN

BY

BW

RP SA

Use simple map outlines & colours

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Use simple map outlines & colours Use simple map outlines & colours

NWBB

BE

ST

THHE

NIHB

SHHH MV

SN

BY

BW

RP SA


Use simple map outlines & colours Chose colours appropriately


Chose colours appropriately


Choose appropriate data ranges

75-81

81-82

82-89

90+

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75-7675-81

77-7881-82

79-8082-89

81+90+


Don't overuse patterns


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> Do use as few colours as possible and sensefull


> Do use as few colours as possible and sensefull> Do order your data sets in logical heirarchy


> Do use as few colours as possible and sensefull> Do order your data sets in logical heirarchy> Visualize your data to be easy to read and compare


> Do use as few colours as possible and sensefull> Do order your data sets in logical heirarchy> Visualize your data to be easy to read and compare> Use icons instead of labels


DON'[email protected]

> Do not use high contrast colours like blue vs. yellow etc.

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> Do not use high contrast colours like blue vs. yellow etc.> Do not use 3D Charts because they screw up perception

> Do not use high contrast colours like blue vs. yellow etc.


> Do not use high contrast colours like blue vs. yellow etc.> Do not use 3D Charts because they screw up perception

> Do not use high contrast colours like blue vs. yellow etc.> Do not use 3D Charts because they screw up perception > Do not use more than 6 colours


> Do not use high contrast colours like blue vs. yellow etc.> Do not use 3D Charts because they screw up perception > Do not use more than 6 colours> Do not use distracting Fonts and Elements (italic, underlined ...)

> Do not use high contrast colours like blue vs. yellow etc.> Do not use 3D Charts because they screw up perception > Do not use more than 6 colours



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End of part 2 t.b.c. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Find the first part of this [email protected]

>The Good, the Bad and the Ugly<[email protected] [email protected]

here:


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here:

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[DataVizRM #1]

>The good, The bad and The Ugly<


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dos and don’ts for the seven most used infographics

Entertainment & Humor