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Why it's Good to Show Bad Examples

Posted on by Alan Wilson

Examples make style guides tangible, and contrastive examples are especially effective.

When teams show both recommended and non-recommended chart treatments, readers can compare outcomes directly and understand the rationale behind the guidance.

This pattern gives users multiple ways to learn: written rule, strong example, and cautionary example.

Portrait of Alan Wilson

Alan Wilson is a Principal Product Designer at Adobe and adjunct professor at BYU. He's focused on making complex ideas easier to understand.