The Direct Annotation Rule
legend = memory test (users forget colors in 3 seconds)
Most charts use legends. Bottom corner. Tiny boxes. Color codes.
Users look at chart. Look at legend. Look back. Forget which was which.
Rinse. Repeat. Exhaustion.
A tiny story
A finance analyst presented quarterly results. Five line charts. One legend at bottom.
Board member asked: "Which line is Q4?"
Everyone squinted. Matched colors. Guessed wrong.
Presenter had to explain verbally.
Chart failed its only job.
The real issue
Color matching tax. Eyes ping-pong. Short-term memory overload.
Legend sits far from data. Spatial disconnect. Cognitive load spikes.
Mobile screens make it worse. Scroll down. Scroll up. Lost context.
Chart becomes puzzle instead of answer.
What you need now
Label lines directly. Put name right on the line. End of story.
Label bars inline. Text inside or right next to bar.
Use callout boxes. Point directly to what matters with arrow + text.
Color + text together. Don't rely on color alone. Ever.
Kill the legend. Ruthlessly. Your chart will breathe.
Direct annotation = zero translation needed.
Two spicy takes
Hot take 1: Legends exist because designers are lazy, not because they're useful.
Hot take 2: Every legend adds 5 seconds of comprehension time. That's 5 seconds of lost attention.
3 actions this week
Delete legends from your three most-viewed charts.
Add direct labels to every line, bar, or segment.
Test with a colleague who's never seen it before.
Instant clarity.
Closing
When you eliminate translation steps, you eliminate confusion.
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