Guidelines

Use When

• Representing items in a sequence, where there is only one value within each X-Axis interval.

• Comparing multiple items in a sequence, where there is only one value within each X-Axis interval. 

Don′t Use When

• Displaying data where there are multiple values within each X-Axis interval. Instead, use a Time-Series Line chart.
• Displaying data with a timestamp which needs to be interpreted by the chart. Instead, use a Time-Series Line chart.
• Representing information that is intended for comparison, but not for comparing trends over time. Instead, use a Vertical Bar chart.

Visual Language

• Never use colors other than those defined in the visualization palette.
• Always use the relevant color orders and meanings from the visualization palette.
• Always use the dotted-line configuration to establish visual hierarchy. Solid lines are intended to represent primary items, while dotted lines can be used to represent secondary or tertiary items, i.e., benchmarks.

Responsiveness

• Within container widths of 600px or less, the chart’s legend moves to the top, and the internal padding between elements tightens.

Editorial

• Use the “Abbreviated” Y-axis Label ,y1abbreviation, for things like currency abbreviations or other short labels, up to a maximum of 10 characters. Anything longer than that should use the “Full” Y-Axis Label, y1AxisLabel.
• Include single characters, such as a “$”, at the beginning of the maximum Y-axis value. However, a “%” sign after the value should be moved to the “Abbreviated” Y-Axis label, y1abbreviation, to avoid offsetting the alignment of the Y-Axis text.
• Strive for short, succinct axis labels and legend items that clearly describe the data.
• Include the unit or increment in axis labels.

Code Reference

Necessary code documentation can be found in the MBC repository.