Structure
- Headline: The main insight (not the topic)
- Introduction: One sentence setting context
- Data sections: 3-5 key data points with visuals
- Conclusion: So what? What should the reader do?
- Source: Always credit data sources
Visual Rules
- One visual style throughout (don't mix illustration styles)
- Consistent color coding (blue = category A everywhere)
- Numbers are the heroes (make them large and prominent)
- Icons support, not replace, data
- White space between sections (scannable, not overwhelming)
Data Integrity
- Don't distort: areas and lengths should be proportional to values
- Show the full picture: don't cherry-pick data points
- Label everything: axes, units, time periods
- Source everything: where did this data come from?
- Date everything: when was this data collected?
Layout
- Vertical scroll (not horizontal) for web
- Width: 800-1200px for web, narrower for social
- Mobile: reflow to single-column
- Exportable as image (PNG) and PDF