Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
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Quick answers
When should I pick School assignments?
When the story is: lab reports, history timelines, math data tasks, posters.
When should I avoid School assignments?
Skip it in cases like: decorating first — pick the chart that answers the rubric.
Who invented or popularised it?
School science fairs and lab manuals from the late 19th century onward
What does it encode?
a question, a chart type that fits, and a sentence that reads the result
Is it OK in ads?
Yes if one claim is visible at a glance in Meta, Google and retail print; otherwise link to a full figure.
Will a teacher accept it?
Yes for lab reports and poster boards if axes, units and a source line are present.
School assignments encodes values as a question, a chart type that fits, and a sentence that reads the result. School science fairs and lab manuals from the late 19th century onward.
In reports, ads and assignments it fits lab reports, history timelines, math data tasks, posters. Skip it when decorating first — pick the chart that answers the rubric.
Rules
- Rules 1 — Use a question, a chart type that fits, and a sentence that reads the result as one channel, not two.
- Rules 2 — Direct labels beat a distant legend.
- Rules 3 — Do not hide zero. If you break the axis, say so.
- Rules 4 — Colour encodes category or magnitude, not both.
- Rules 5 — Put the claim in the title, not just "School assignments".
- Rules 6 — Source and period, even in small type.
Palette
- Palette 1 — Categories: distinct hues. Sequences: one hue, changing value.
- Palette 2 — Diverging: a neutral centre, emphasis at both ends.
- Palette 3 — One brand colour plus greys beats a rainbow.
- Palette 4 — Check contrast on a projector and in greyscale print.
Type
- Type 1 — Tabular figures for numbers. Do not pour body copy into the chart.
- Type 2 — Titles as sentences; axes as short nouns.
- Type 3 — For CJK, drop weight one step and leave tracking.
School assignments: honour a question, a chart type that fits, and a sentence that reads the result, and switch when decorating first — pick the chart that answers the rubric.