Audience and attention
Readers spend less time on your visual than you think, or hope. Decide up front which kind of attention you are designing for, and set the level of detail to match.
The 3 / 30 / 300 rule
| 3 seconds | 30 seconds | 300 seconds | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | One immediate insight | One main message with a little interpretation | Deep understanding and exploration of nuance |
| Typical reader | Management, executives, a skimming reader | General or partner audience | Specialists and staff, the analysts themselves |
| Formats | A big number, sparkline, locator map or one annotated highlight | A titled chart or map embedded in a report | A dashboard, standalone map sheet, small multiples or detailed table |
| Colours | 1–2 | Up to 5 | As many as the data needs, still limited by the palette |
| Text | Title only, or a number with a label | Title, subtitle, direct labels and source | Full legend, notes, methodology and annotations |
| Map elements | Main map and source | Add a title, legend and optional locator or inset | Add a scale, north arrow, credits and supporting graphics |
Strategic and operational readers
The same data often serves two very different audiences.
Strategic readers (headquarters, management, donors)
- Want trends, risks and big-picture conclusions, not operational detail.
- Often lack local context, so don’t assume they know places or acronyms.
- Need big numbers, summary charts and simplified maps, without granular layers, filters or complicated legends.
- Need a title that leads with the conclusion: “Market access stabilised nationwide in February”.
Operational readers (field staff, specialists)
- Have strong context and need detail to act on.
- Can read nuanced breakdowns by location, time or category.
- Need district- or site-level detail, precise locations and clusters.
- Can use filters, breakdowns or a second visual for exploration.
- Need a title that still states the insight, though it may assume background knowledge.
Make it readable by anyone interested. Design for the primary audience, but don’t lock out everyone else: spell out acronyms and add a line of context.
Novices need explanation and simplification, while experts handle denser detail without trouble. See Fluency and cognitive load.