Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
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Quick answers
When should I pick Timeline?
When the story is: ordered events, eras, project milestones.
When should I avoid Timeline?
Skip it in cases like: you need quantities changing, not just dates.
Who invented or popularised it?
Joseph Priestley’s 1765 Chart of Biography inspired later atlases
What does it encode?
position along an ordered time axis
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.
Timeline encodes values as position along an ordered time axis. Joseph Priestley’s 1765 Chart of Biography inspired later atlases.
In reports, ads and assignments it fits ordered events, eras, project milestones. Skip it when you need quantities changing, not just dates.
Rules
- Rules 1 — Use position along an ordered time axis 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 "Timeline".
- 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.
Timeline: honour position along an ordered time axis, and switch when you need quantities changing, not just dates.