Reprinted with the authors’ permission from Web Analytics World.
The Wall Street Journal Guide to Information Graphics by Dona Wong is an essential read for anyone given the task of communicating information and data.
The book is straightforward and reads like a style guide, primarily using visual examples over text. Using side-by-side comparisons of what to do and what not to do, Wong covers everything from collecting data to visual design. She includes the importance of accurately presenting data, how to choose the best chart, and how to use graphics, colors, and fonts effectively.
The book is intended for business professionals, but regardless of who you are and your experience level, you’ll learn practical tips to create clear and informative charts. Anyone interested in information design should read and keep this book as a reference.
Below are some simple tips that the Dona Wong would like you to consider:
- Don’t set a huge amount of text in bold. Then nothing get’s emphasized.
- Don’t use highly stylized fonts or turn the type sideways to save space.
- Don’t plot horizontal bars in a random order. The main quality of a horizontal bar chart is the ranking of items by the same attribute.
- It’s difficult to compare and contrast among many segments. A pie chart shouldn’t have more than five slices.
- Adhere to the correct chart type for each series: lines for continuous data and bars for discrete quantities.
Jennifer Hogan is a User Experience Designer at Shaw Communications. Manoj Jasra is a Senior Strategist at Shaw Communications.
