If your app is data-driven then there are very great chances that you’ll use the charts, which makes your app show data in a simple and understandable format. but if you did it wrong you’ll be in a very bad situation.

therefore I’m here to teach you, how you can design better charts for your data-driven app by taking inspiration from other popular apps.

but, first of all, let’s clear out the basics.

Why Apps Use Charts?

if you’re in doubt that either you have to create charts for your app or not, then let me clear it out for you. First, Charts are usually used to describe the data in as simplest form possible so that users can easily understand data more accurately.

As humans are visual creatures we love to see charts instead of the long list of datasheets, therefore charts come in handy while using data-driven apps like stock apps, cash app, habit tracking apps, digital usage app, apps showing statistics of your audience like YouTube, Instagram, Pinterst, etc.

#1 Choose the Type of Charts

Image showing different charts (bar vs line) which is used to show user stats by Instagram and Unsplash.

You have to choose the chart you wanted to show on your device. I know this is not an easy thing to do, that you just go and pick the bar chart every time because there are many times that a pie chart might be better to use instead of using a bar chart, Vice Versa.

So for selecting the better chart I’ll recommend you to read the article and for better perspective, I’ll quickly sum up the whole type of chart thing from that article wanted to teach you about.

https://uxplanet.org/ by MiMi

Composition: If you wanted to show the part of a complete thing then you’ll be happy to use the charts that come under the composition section.

Comparison: as the name suggests, if you wanted to compare one data to another you have to choose the charts under the comparison section.

Relationship: wanted to show the relation between two things in a particular time, period, etc. you have to use the charts under the relationship section.

Distribution: Using something to show the difference depending on the amount or number of the Y or X axis you’ll love to use those charts.

I know some of you don’t get it properly but it’s okay, just read the article now or later after reading all the lessons to design better charts.

#2 Make it Simple

make your charts simple so that your audience can understand them easily and more effectively. make charts tough or complex can look cooler to a professional data analyzer but as average users, we also want simple things and this goes with charts too.

but how exactly you can make the charts simple? By Removing Stuff.

wanted anything to be simple remove something, wanted to make the omelet fast remove the onion and you’ll save you time. Make the option for the user to just add onion into the omelet. Add a button to switch the chart to an advance or much more complex one if you have that much data.

#3 Colors

Colors are necessary if you wanted to make some parts of the chart stand out just to help them like Map shows the red color for high traffic and Robinhood app shows the red color for drop in stock price or green for the rise.

use them as examples and if you have some charts that might be easy to decode if you add few colors to them.

#4 Similar Charts

If you have your competitor app that has the same audience that you have and you wanted to add charts then it would be much better to take some inspiration from them. Inspiration is different in my terms.

Copying someone will be bad but taking inspiration from them will be fine, the inspiration I’m talking about is copying their basics.

the chart they are using will be fin but copying their colors, styling, the design will be called copying.

either way, you have the save your time thinking about what type of chart will fit your app the best.

#5 Show Them Details

Details are necessary when you have to describe the charts. charts are helpful for the first impression of the effect for example if the particular stock price rise it’ll be helpful if the user can just see a green up arrow with a chart showing an upward-histogram or line chart. but for details like how much price rise or by which percent you have to see details.

Details are important but not too much show them the data they actually want you are the developer of your app find out your audience and figure out what details they actually wanted to be highlighted and just list them.

#6 Click for Better Details

while designing for the web the designer uses something called a tooltip that allows the user to know more data and information but while designer for mobile you don’t have a mouse tip therefore the click for detail thing is necessary for taking out the exact data from a particular point, for example, to see how many views I got on a particular date inside the Pinterest app.

Bonus: Remember the Three Cs

Context: Remember what type of data you want to show, and how your user will find the chart helpful according to the data.

Clarity: Making things clear helps a lot to the user, remove something if you want to in order to make the chart look much more clear and helpful.

Contrast: Give some color to it, to make it much more attractive and contrasting which helps in better differentiation and clarity of context.

NNGroup: Better Chart for App by Kathryn Whitenton

I hope you like some of the lessons, I’m going to improve this article as I keep researching for more things about charts.

Thanks for Reading