How to Make a Chart Look Attractive (Proven Techniques)

Data tells stories. But not all stories are told well. Creating a great-looking chart isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about clarity. When your data visualizations are clear and purposeful, they're easier to understand, more trustworthy, and significantly more likely to drive meaningful decisions.

As someone who spends my days at Graphy obsessing over chart design details so the charts our users build look great out of the box, I've seen how small adjustments can transform data from confusing to compelling. I'm sharing these insights because great charts aren't born, they're designed—deliberately and thoughtfully.

Before we explore specific techniques, remember this fundamental principle: simplicity wins. A clean, focused chart captures attention and builds trust. A cluttered one confuses your audience and dilutes your message.

What makes a killer chart?

There are two broad categories:
1. the foundation (creating a good chart) and
2. the story layer (turning it into a great chart).

Let’s start with the foundation.

1. The foundation

These elements are critical to the structure of your chart. Get these right first.

1.1 The chart itself

Your chart should make sense on its own. Too often we try to cram in extra context, but simplicity is the goal.

Ask yourself: what’s the one thing I want people to take away from this chart? Use the data and chart type to show that first and foremost. Remove anything that doesn’t help deliver that message.

Choosing the right chart type is key. If your chart needs a paragraph of explanation to be understood, it’s probably the wrong chart.

1.2 The text

Don’t waste text describing what the chart already shows. Use text to convey the takeaway: what do you want your users to do next? Titles should be short and punchy. Subtitles and captions can offer additional context, but keep them tight. The less you say, the more it lands.

1.3 The numbers

Most charts are built around one or two key numbers. Use your design to direct attention toward them. Let the chart give context, not competition.

Our headline metrics are a great way to surface these numbers and focus your audience’s attention on what matters most.

2. The story layer

Once the foundation is set, this is where your chart starts to feel polished and intentional.

2.1 Aspect ratio

Where your chart is going—a slide deck, an email, Notion—matters. Define the aspect ratio early. A wide chart may shine in a presentation but fall flat in a mobile layout. Pick the right canvas for your message.

Then use a font size that works well within that canvas. Text should be easy to read without squinting or zooming in.

2.2 Colour

Colour is one of your most powerful design tools, and also one of the easiest to overuse.

Use less colour, not more. It should guide attention, not fight for it. Highlight the part of the chart that matters most. Everything else can fade back.

Some tricks:

• Use one accent colour and keep the rest neutral.

• Use colour in text and titles to tie back to the chart visually.

• Highlight one element and desaturate the rest to help focus attention.

2.3 Annotations

One or two well-placed annotations can do more than a paragraph of explanation. They help your audience instantly understand what matters without needing to interpret the whole chart from scratch.

Some ideas:

• Use hand-drawn or informal fonts to separate annotations from chart text. It feels natural and draws the eye.

• Difference arrows are great for showing change between two points.

• Trendlines help show general patterns over time.

• Adding goals or targets gives your chart a benchmark, making progress easier to understand.

Try to keep annotations focused. Use them to deliver the key message or provide just enough context to help it land.

3. Bonus: Advanced moves (with caution)

A few extras to keep in mind as you fine-tune. Be very careful here. These techniques can make your chart cleaner, but they can also remove important context your audience might need. Use them deliberately and always with your user in mind.

• Legends are more readable when moved to the right. This reduces scanning and helps your audience match lines or segments with their labels more quickly.

• Y-axis can sometimes be removed if you’re labeling each data point directly. Gridlines and tick marks may no longer be needed either. Just make sure your audience still has the context to understand scale.

• Chart colour

  • For line charts:

    • If you have multiple lines, place the legend on the right to help connect each line to its label.

    • If lines cross over, increase contrast.

    • If lines are visually distinct, a monochrome palette can sometimes feel cleaner.

  • For bar charts:

    • For single-series charts, stick to one colour to help the audience focus on height, not hue.

    • For multi-series charts, use a monochrome palette and avoid colour overload.

  • For pie charts:

    • The same logic applies. Monochrome palettes are sometimes the easiest to interpret.

• Smooth lines are useful for showing gentle trends. But if your data has major shifts, they can be misleading. Avoid flattening peaks and troughs when accuracy matters. Stick to straight lines when precision is key.

A great-looking chart doesn’t just look nice. It reads clearly, feels intentional, and earns trust. At Graphy, our mission is to help you build better charts, faster. These small tweaks can go a long way in making your data not only stand out but speak clearly.