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Elevating Table Design: Lessons from the Cato Institute's Data Visualization Guide
Tables are often overlooked in conversations about data communication, even though they are one of the most common ways to share quantitative information.
The Cato Institute’s style guide includes dedicated guidance for print and web tables, including table width, font choices, type sizing, and banner or stripe colors. It also emphasizes right alignment for numeric content, which helps readability and comparison.
One important caveat is color accessibility. The orange color #ED8B00 on white does not meet strong contrast standards, so darker palette options can improve legibility while preserving brand consistency.
Jonathan Schwabish, PhD is an economist, writer, and educator known for helping organizations communicate research and policy findings with clarity and accessibility.