One of the most basic and most used charts that everyone uses is the bar chart. While it is the most basic, it can also be considered as one of the plainest ones and the urge to spruce it up and make it more flash is sometimes too strong to resist. However strong that urge is, it is better for you to ignore it. By adding these additional things, you are running the risk of muddying the point of your visualization and losing the meaning. It also has the effect of taking the attention of the viewer away from the story of your visualization.
- Remove 3d effects, shadows, gradient color fills, and any other special flashy effects
- Order the Data
- Show who the author of the data is and cite it
- Label the Axis
- See what additional information can be used to support the data you already have
Reference:
https://www.prometheusresearch.com/information-design-five-ways-to-improve-your-bar-graph/