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What are the design principles for data visualization?

The design principles for data visualization include:

  1. Clarity: Ensure the visualization is easy to understand. Avoid clutter and use clear labels, legends, and appropriate scales.
    Example: A bar chart comparing sales across regions should use distinct colors and avoid overlapping bars.

  2. Accuracy: Represent data truthfully without distortion. Use the right chart type to avoid misleading interpretations.
    Example: A pie chart should only be used when the data sums to 100%, while a line chart is better for showing trends over time.

  3. Relevance: Focus on the most important data points. Remove unnecessary elements that distract from the key message.
    Example: If analyzing website traffic, highlight peak hours rather than showing every minute of data.

  4. Consistency: Maintain uniformity in colors, fonts, and styles across visualizations for better comprehension.
    Example: Use the same color scheme for similar metrics in multiple dashboards.

  5. Interactivity (for digital visualizations): Allow users to explore data dynamically, such as zooming or filtering.
    Example: Tencent Cloud's DataV offers interactive dashboards where users can drill down into specific data segments.

  6. Aesthetics: Use visually appealing designs, but avoid excessive decoration that detracts from the data.
    Example: A clean, minimalistic heatmap is more effective than one overloaded with gradients and effects.

For cloud-based data visualization, Tencent Cloud provides services like DataV and Tencent Cloud BI, which support scalable, interactive, and customizable visualizations.