Colour helps to attract attention of the viewers, communicate meaning and evoke emotions.
Some colours have strong psychological associations. Red can be linked with love, power, anger, or something negative (in finance). Blue, on the other hand, is associated with cold, stability, intelligence or professionalism. And green with nature, environment and calm. However, depending on the context colours can get different meanings.
Colours can be used in a data vizualisation to complement each other or be in juxtaposition.
When choosing colours for a Data Viz remember:
- Single colour should represent the same type of data.
- Consider colour blindness, be aware of the contrast among chosen colours.
- Less is more, do not use too many colours in one viz.
- Use colour to highlight, warn or showcase the common thread.
- Use colour to create associations, it engages the audience on more emotional level.
- Choose colours that can be easily distinguished.
When colours are chosen wisely, viewers can understand the insights quicker and easier.