Colors matter. Colors have meaning. If you are presenting your data in some kind of visual way, the colors you pick have a huge impact on your audiences’ understanding and interpretation of the image. Of course, most of us aren’t color theorist, so when thinking about colors I point to two resources:
- Color Brewer – this website gives you palettes you can use based on what kind of data you are presenting
- Stephen Few’s Practical Rules for Using Color in Charts – Stephen’s 9 rules are great guidelines to follow
Combine those two and you’ll get tips, and specific colors, that will help you make sure your visual presentation of data uses colors well.
What You Should Do:
When you’re making a chart, be sure you understand what kind of data you are showing – sequential, diverging, etc. Have this description of the data drive the colors you use to show it. Use Color Brewer to pick an appropriate color palette based on the type of data you are showing.
Data Therapy 