Color in Data Visualization: Less How, More Why

Too often, we use color as a tool to make pretty pictures, when it should be used to inform our audiences.

If our use of color in visualizations follows the Five Ws (and one H), we’re spending too much time on how, and not enough time on why. Color is too often seen as a tool to make pretty pictures, when it should be used to inform our audiences.

For one example, look at this “Color Emotion Guide” from marketing site TapClicks (one of the top results…