Design tips for data tables
Posted in Tips
Most scientists have adopted minimalistic design principles for graphs. We still sometimes see 3D bar charts, but it’s rare. Data tables are another story. Sometimes journals take the formatting of data tables out of the hands of the authors. Perhaps they recognize that it’s an under-appreciated art. The default tables that come out of some programs are big, hairy, and incoherent.
There’s no one formula for all data tables. It depends on the content and what story needs to be told. But Darkhorse Analytics nicely illustrates the process of chipping away at chartjunk to yield an efficient data table.
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