Test Your Knowledge

  2. Order
  3. Academic program
  4. Becoming Visual
  5. Test Your Knowledge

Test your knowledge of the design principles we discussed thus far, including chart type, color, text and labels, readability, scales, chart junk, data integrity, data density, data richness, and attribution. Take a look at the chart below and identify areas for improvement based on the design principles.

How could the design of this chart be improved? Select all that apply:
  1. Chart type
  2. Color
  3. Text and labels
  4. Readability
  5. Scales
  6. Chart junk
  7. Data integrity
  8. Data density
  9. Data richness
  10. Attribution

If you selected chart type, color, scales, chart junk, attribution, and data integrity, you are correct.

The line chart could be improved in the following areas:

  • Chart type: Appropriate use of line chart, but line width should be thickened to improve readability
  • Color: increase the contrast of the line colors
  • Scales: Increase the minimum starting value of the y-axis
  • Scales: The units on the y-axis are missing
  • Chart junk: Omit legend and label series endpoints directly
  • Chart junk: Omit tick marks for the x- and y-axes
  • Attribution: Missing chart author and data source
  • Data integrity: The data source is missing, therefore it is unclear where the data was sourced

Challenge yourself and fix the chart. Download the chart to get started.

Compare your revised chart with the solution. Download the solution.

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