Visualization—A Science and an Art

Telling a story about the data is both a science and an art. Selecting the right colors in the
visualization can have an impact on how the story is interpreted. Certain colors such as
reds and greens should be avoided as indicators as readers who are color-blind may not
tell the difference in the colors. Both shapes and colors should be used. Colors may relate
directly to a business, or certain colors can trigger different emotions in a visualization.
Blues can have a calming effect and greens can have a feeling of safety, where reds can
generate danger or energy and purple can generate feelings of power or luxury. Shapes,
colors, different color hues, and appropriate font sizes should be considered to present
the story in a way that the audience can easily understand it in the right context. Too
much information should also be avoided, so the story presented in the visualization is
clear and not cluttered as shown in Fig. 18.1.3.

Chapter 18.1: An Introduction to Data Visualizations