In business, there’s a common saying that data is king. Whether your target audience is business professionals or general consumers, at some point you’ll need to present a message that relies on figures to generate sales or increase market share.
How can you do this effectively? Sure, infographics are a tried and true method. But often, this medium misses the mark because of cluttered designs and irrelevant or unsupported data.
In this scenario, it’s best to stick to a cleanly designed chart. If you’re planning to not just display data on your website, but leverage it to make effective CTAs, you need to focus on maintaining UX principles for a consistent user experience throughout your website.
By default, charts require readers to process data and draw conclusions. And to make it easier for your audience, you’ll need to effectively label your chart, data points, and axes.
But if your design team goes overboard, your message will literally get lost within the chart. Common examples of good data gone wrong include:
Just like your labels need to be clear, you should also avoid overusing additional text on specific data points within the chart. Unless there’s a real concern that a critical piece of data might be overlooked, it’s unnecessary to clutter your chart with excessive notes on every data point.
While similar to the first point, this one goes further and actually addresses your overall design scheme. Common mistakes include:
Skewing aspect ratios or shifting your baseline to support your data goals can help you create a story, but it can cheapen your brand and present an untrustworthy image. Instead, set your baseline at zero to present your data in full.
Likewise, ensure that your x and y-axes are proportional so that data points aren’t distorted. This makes it easier for your audience to read and understand your chart. If you think you need to “play” with your chart to prove your case, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board.
Most of us remember pie charts from our school days, but they’re scientifically proven as the hardest charts to understand. This is because pie charts require size recognition and comparison, which can be difficult when this chart is used for multiple data points that are similar in size. The only way to effectively use a pie chart like this is to include accurate labels with a legend. But this creates a cluttered user experience.
Instead, bar graphs and line charts offer clear comparisons, especially when that data is displayed in an organized manner with clearly labeled axes.
You might think that your charts need grid lines, additional shading, watermarks, and other add ons, but they don’t. American statistician Edward Tufte calls these elements “chartjunk” and for good reason. Most of the time, these features don’t enhance information on the chart or make it easier to read. Instead, they serve as distractions and could lead to incorrect conclusions that you didn’t intend.
If you’re posting charts on your website, users will assume that you’re aligning your brand as an authority or expert source in a particular topic. But if you really want to drive that point home, cite your sources. Charts that don’t explain where the data was sourced can lead to audiences understandably doubting their reliability.
Think of this as a focus group for your design. Sometimes when you’re the one working on a project, you’re too close to it and won’t be able to recognize flaws. A fresh pair of eyes can highlight areas that need improvement or places where you can remove design elements to improve the user experience. In other words, always get a second opinion before you publish new content.
So, now that you know what not to do when focusing on data visualization, what’s an example of good data design? We think that Brand Love Score’s Black Friday Brand Love chart is the perfect example of how to take complex data and craft a user-friendly chart. What do they do right?
Designing a chart that compliments your website’s overall user experience isn’t necessarily a native skill that everyone has. If you have raw data that you need to turn into a functional chart, The Creative Momentum is here to bring your data to life.