Conceiving and Reasoning Visualization Design Options - Data Visualization: A Successful Design Process - page 98

We see a similar effect demonstrated by this following image taken from a typical
dashboard display. By their very nature, dashboards are deployed in situations
whereby the efficiency and accuracy of detecting key message as signals is a key aim:
In this example, we see a limited, rather monochromatic color scheme applied across
all properties—values, charts, labels, and titles. Through deploying this soft palette,
it enables the key signals to jump in to the foreground as the most important visuals:
the red indicators (alerting a need for further investigation), the blue headline bars
(best performance), and the very subtle markers on the sparklines to represent the
highest (blue) and lowest (orange) weekly levels.
When it comes to learning about the potential of color to create a sense of hierarchy,
we can take inspiration from the effective deployment of color witnessed in other
contexts. We can see examples from the best designs in advertising, website, product,
and video games where creating intuitive, hierarchical displays are often vital
components of their purpose and experience.
When it comes to judging background colors, there is no definitive set of rules about
whether light (typically white) or dark (typically black) colors are better or worse. It is
always a contextual judgment based on the intended style of the project as well as the
palette of colors from which you intend to represent data. It is essentially a judgment
about the legibility of contrast between foreground and background chart properties.
As a general piece of advice, try not to use strong, highly saturated colors when
covering large areas. Don't force the eye to have to constantly contend with and
process dominant colors. Instead, give yourself the option of using strong colors to
highlight and draw attention to the data layer.
Another important property to take notice of, in the relationship between foreground
and background, is the careful deployment of chart apparatus, such as the axes,
gridlines, tick marks, borders, titles—any chart property you may use to frame and
reference your data.