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Showerthought: I started adding patterns to my charts and it fixed a huge issue
I was making a report for my team and my coworker Mark, who is colorblind, said he couldn't tell the pie chart sections apart. I tried just making the colors brighter, but that didn't help at all. So I went back and added different patterns, like dots, stripes, and cross-hatching, to each section. After I changed it, Mark said he could read the whole chart perfectly on the first try. It only took me an extra 20 minutes in the design software. Has anyone else found a specific trick like this for data visuals?
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wadepalmer6mo ago
Only took an extra 20 minutes" is the part that got me... I always thought patterns looked cluttered, but if it makes that big a difference for someone, it's totally worth the time.
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janab876mo ago
Remember my friend who hated busy patterns on her couch? She tried one solid pillow and said it felt like a hotel lobby. But adding a few patterned ones totally changed the room, and she said it took like 15 minutes to switch them out. Makes you wonder what small change would fix a room you don't like, right?
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amy3024mo ago
@janab87 makes a good point. When she switched those pillows out, did the rest of the room stay the same, or did she end up changing other things to match? Sometimes one small fix just highlights what else is off.
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