Discrete vs. continuous
Discrete and continuous colour palettes are the two primary types of colour palettes used for data visualisation.
A discrete palette limits the number of colours used for data with distinct categories, making it easier to spot patterns.
A continuous colour palette displays a smooth gradation of colour stops for data with varying values.
Types of chart colours
VUD uses colourblind-safe colour tokens and supports four types of chart colours to cater to different data visualisation needs:
- Categorical
- Sequential
- Diverging
- Single-colour
1. Categorical
Categorical palettes, also known as qualitative palettes, are used to represent discrete categories of data in a random order. They are typically applied to distinguish different categories of data by using distinct colours.
Example of a line chart using categorical palette.
Example of a pie chart using categorical palette.
2. Sequential
Sequential palettes are colours rearranged in a specific order, often following a numerical progression such as gradients or scales. They are commonly used to illustrate variations in magnitude or intensity across a range of values.
Two examples of data visualisation using sequential palette.
3. Diverging
Diverging palettes are to compare two or more sets of data that have opposing trends or values. They display the difference between two data sets and highlight the positive and negative deviations from a reference point.
Two examples of data visualisation using diverging palette.
4. Single-colour
The single-colour palette is to represent your brand's visual language.
Two examples of progress bars using single-colour palette.