7 Best Practices for Using Color in Data Visualizations

Color plays a significant role in data visualization by affecting human biology and psychology, influencing emotions, decision-making, and memory, which can enhance the effectiveness of conveying information. Strategic use of color can improve memory retention, aid pattern recognition, and highlight priority information, making it a powerful tool for data visualization. To create effective visualizations, it is important to understand common color associations and apply best practices, such as using a single color for continuous data, contrasting colors for comparison, and bright colors to emphasize important details. It is crucial to avoid using too many colors, ensure that colors are easily distinguishable, and consider accessibility for those with color vision deficiencies. Common color palettes used in data visualization include qualitative, sequential, and diverging palettes, each serving specific purposes in representing data. While there are guidelines for using color, creativity and communication should guide the design process, and tools like Sigma continually expand visualization options to support these efforts.