Keep it Simple.

ByFrank Broen
Simple Bar Chart Example

NCHRP SYNTHESIS 584 is the most downloaded TRB publication in July 2022

Here is the first of 5 key takeaways

Use maps, line, bar, and pie charts with a descriptive title that tells the story.   

Simplicity in the design of the visualizations is a key to success. Success was often reported when a simple visualization effectively communicated a clear story that brought the significance of the raw data to life for its intended audience.

  • 80% of the visualization examples were simple charts with descriptions
  • Infographics help emphasize important points
  • Maps provide a rich context to understand where challenges exist
  • Dashboards maximize increasingly limited face-to-face meeting time
  • Finding solutions to challenging problems involve more complex visualizations

But,

Achieving simplicity is hard. Achieving simplicity requires considering many factors such as:

  • the text that describes the data story
  • the clarity of the message
  • effectiveness of the visualization

Simply tell a performance story with visualizations that resonate with your audience.

nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26651/visualization-of-highway-performance-measures