We all understand that charts are useful. How do you ensure that they are also on-brand? Consistent? Beautiful?
The Rare Exception of Omitting Interactive Chart Guidance in Data Visualization Style Guides
Getting started with your own style guide
01 Principles
Provide a clear philosophy and framework for making design decisions with principles that guide your decisions, maintain integrity, and represent your brand.
02 Foundation
Set up a framework of basic building blocks like color, type, and spacing to give your guide a foundation to build from. Ensure you understand who you are designing for.
03 Content
The words we use play a huge role, especially when it comes to telling stories with data. Help your team by creating guides that address voice, tone, and grammar.
04 Visualizations
Avoid mishaps by providing information on chart types and when to use each. Teach best practices for the structure and style of charts, maps, and diagrams.
Style Guide Examples
- Adobe
For Profit
- Airbnb
For Profit
- Amazon Web Services
For Profit
- Apple
For Profit
- Arc GIS Storymaps
For Profit
Videos
- Fireside Chat: Data Viz Style Guides
Maxene Graze, Alan Wilson, Jonathan Schwabish, and Amy Cesal
- More than a Style Guide: Data Visualization for Design Systems
Alan Wilson
- How to Create Brand Colors for Data Visualization Style Guidelines
Amy Cesal
- Why Your Organization Needs a Data Visualization Style Guide
Jonathan Schwabish
- How to Create Brand Colors for Data Visualization Style Guidelines
Amy Cesal
Other Articles & Resources
- What Your Organization Needs a Data Visualization Style Guide For
Jonathan Schwabish
- A Detailed Guide to Colors in Data Visualizations
Lisa Charlotte Muth
- How to Create Brand Colors for Data Visualization Style Guidelines
Amy Cesal
- Chart Smarter with a Chart Library
Maxene Graze
- Data Visualization Community Resources
Community curated
Who we are
Alan Wilson is a Principal Product Designer at Adobe and adjunct professor at BYU. He's focused on making complex ideas easier to understand.
Jonathan Schwabish, PhD is an economist, writer, and educator known for helping organizations communicate research and policy findings with clarity and accessibility.
Amy Cesal is a freelance information designer who helps organizations build data visualization practices and style guides.
Maxene Graze combines research, engineering, and multisensory visualization methods to bridge data analysis with human experience.
Jonathan Schwabish, PhD