Visual design
Handy tips for telling a great data story visually.
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Handy tips for telling a great data story visually.
Last updated
Was this helpful?
While "the data speaks for itself" is a nice idealistic phrase, in practice people often don't see or hear anything from the data because it is simply presented poorly. While you don't want to present a message the data isn't saying, you do want to ensure valuable insights are both attractive and effective.
Visual design is about guiding attention. Let's look at some simple tips to guide attention through your data presentation.
Choose a data color that resonates with your story topic or company brand. Bolder, vibrant colors tend to be better for this.
Use section color backgrounds to define a visual flow for your story. For example, you may want a bold colored introductory section to grab interest, and then use lighter color section backgrounds in the rest of your story that will be less distracting for reading data from charts.
Be sure your text has good contrast for readability. If a dark background color is chosen on a section or slice, Juicebox will automatically make your text white.
If you do add photos, think about how well the colors compliment the rest of your visuals.
Less is more. The more colors you add, the less you can use color to emphasize specific messages or your data you don't want to get lost.
There are several font themes to choose from. Choose a set that conveys the mood of your story best. Is the story more opinionated or explanatory? Choose the "Literary" style. Is the story more a statistically accurate report update? You may want to choose "Professional", or "Bold" if you want to make a stronger point.
Use large text headers in Slice text to create titles for your sections.
Use small text for notes about data or guidance tips you would like to communicate to your viewers.
Any data you add to Juicebox will be represented by a column or measure. Taking the extra thought to label this well and provide complimentary icons will make the editing experience better for you as an editor. However more importantly, this will result in a more unique and understandable story for your audience.
Keep your labels as short as possible while maintaining clarity. For example, instead of "Sales Dollars", you may just want to write "Sales" since you can use a dollar sign for your icon and format your numbers with the dollar format.
Icons allow you to add uniqueness or personality appropriate to your story style and data. Don't be afraid to have some fun with your icons! Search for good icons via text search or categories dropdown.
Unlike other dashboard reporting tools, Juicebox is more about helping you present your data like a story that has a beginning, middle, and end. This is why slices lay out vertically, by default, like a cross between a website and a slideshow presentation. You wouldn't start a presentation to your team by showing thumbnails of all your slides at once. Why would a data presentation be any different?
Put text next to your chart with a slice "Chart on right" or "Chart on left" layout option. This is great for adding more explanatory text that can easily be read while viewing a chart.
You also may put entire slices next to each other by changing the section layout to "Side-by-side layout". For this option, sometimes slices will scroll horizontally, so this is a good option when there are charts or text you would consider optional viewing.
In general, a bit of layout diversity will create a more visually interesting story, but don't forget to put yourself in your audience's shoes. They are likely less familiar with the data than you, so you don't want to create unnecessarily distracting layout changes when they are simply wanting to understand something clearly.
Often you may have a logo or branding colors you would like to style a data story with. You may want to set the data color as your logo color. And then use lighter secondary brand colors in section or slice backgrounds.
Have a logo? Add the logo image to a slice for instant brand appeal. Voila!
You can add images to a slice, either your own or images from Unsplash. Photos are a great opportunity to add visual interest to your story. Similar to a blog post with a great intro image, data stories are no different.
Want to add a bit morefun?! Sprinkle in emojis.
