Be Real: Why real-life data and visualizations make the best examples
Style Guides can be difficult to understand and follow. There is a lot of information to take in. Examples can make this easier—especially if they’re real. Real data that tells a story can put all those abstract rules in context. They give you another tool for understanding the rules and how to use them. For reference, check out the examples section of the Urban Institute’s style guide. Here you’ll find curated examples that demonstrate the proper use of headlines, color, type, layout, footnotes, and chart choice. I find this approach far more effective than using fake data or contrived visualizations—I only wish the Urban Institute would integrate these examples into the guidelines instead of tacking them onto the end.
Urban Institute: https://urbaninstitute.github.io/graphics-styleguide/
Written by Alan Wilson
