Data Authors: Skilled Designers of Data Presentations - Data Fluency: Empowering Your Organization with Effective Data Communication - page 117

2. use contrast to make the data visible. If there is low contrast between
the data and labels compared to surrounding elements, it can be difficult
for readers to see the most important information on the page. For many
years, the standard Excel default chart, for example, made it more difficult
than necessary to distinguish the line from the background. A white back-
ground and de-emphasized gridlines can help, as shown in Figure 5-25.

BAD GOOD

Unit Sales by Month Unit Sales by Month

80 80

60 60

40 40

20 20

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct

Figure 5-25: Improved contrast makes the data easier to read.

3. Readable labels. Clear labeling is often overlooked. Whenever possible,
avoid rotated labels or tiny font. When the labels are a struggle to read,
they distract from focusing on the numbers, as shown in Figure 5-26.

BAD GOOD

Unit Sales by Month Unit Sales by Month

80 80

60 60

40 40

20 20

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct

Figure 5-26: Don't make it hard on your audience to read labels.