Lead with the answer, pick the simplest chart that shows it, and label everything in words.
Best practices
- Lead with the answer. Put totals and comparisons above the chart, in words and numbers.
- Pick the simplest chart that answers the question: bars for comparison, lines for trends.
- Label axes and series in text. Use the system colours in a fixed order, and keep each thing’s colour the same across a report.
- Accessible by default. Every chart has a short text summary and the data in a table nearby.
- Use stat tiles for two to six key numbers at the top of a report.