How The Economist makes the best charts on the internet | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

The Economist's charts are effective because they are simple, match the message, guide the audience, and consistently follow design principles.

Key Insights

• 💹 The Economist's charts are effective due to their simplicity, using basic titles, fonts, colors, and commonly understood chart types.
• 💹 Matching the chart type to the message being conveyed helps the audience quickly comprehend the data in relation to the message.
• 💪 Guiding the audience to the insights through strong titles, color coding, and bolding enhances overall understanding.

Transcript

there's a lot of good charts out there from The Wall Street Journal Charter even the consulting firms themselves make really good charts but there's something about charts from The Economist that's just so appealing why is that to answer that question I went through every Economist chart I could find took detailed notes and compared them with some ... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: Why are The Economist's charts so simple?

The simplicity of The Economist's charts allows the audience to understand them within seconds by using basic titles, fonts, colors, and commonly understood chart types like line and bar charts.

Q: How do The Economist's charts match the message?

The Economist chooses chart types that best convey the message, such as using bar charts for comparisons and line charts for changes over time, making it easier for the audience to understand the data in relation to the message being communicated.

Q: How does The Economist guide the audience to the insights?

The Economist uses strong titles, color coding, and bolding to highlight key information in the charts, making it clear to the audience what message is being conveyed and how the chart supports that message.

Q: Why is consistency important in The Economist's charts?

Consistency ensures that the audience can easily navigate and understand The Economist's charts, as they follow the same design principles, colors, and structure across different platforms, reducing distractions and helping the audience focus on the message.

Q: Why are The Economist's charts so simple?

The simplicity of The Economist's charts allows the audience to understand them within seconds by using basic titles, fonts, colors, and commonly understood chart types like line and bar charts.

More Insights

• The Economist's charts are effective due to their simplicity, using basic titles, fonts, colors, and commonly understood chart types.

• Matching the chart type to the message being conveyed helps the audience quickly comprehend the data in relation to the message.

• Guiding the audience to the insights through strong titles, color coding, and bolding enhances overall understanding.

• Consistency in design principles and structure helps reduce distractions and allows for easy comprehension of the charts.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The Economist's charts are simple and easy to understand, with basic titles, fonts, and colors, allowing the audience to grasp the message quickly.

• The charts are specifically chosen to match the message being conveyed, such as using bar charts for comparisons and line charts for changes over time.

• The Economist subtly guides the audience to the main insights through the use of titles, colors, and shapes.

• Consistency is key in The Economist's charts, with the same design principles applied across their website, Instagram, and print versions.