Briefle words · Data & charts
Legend
The key that maps each color in a chart to the category it represents.
Say it to an AI
Line chart of monthly transactions by payment method, April to September. Use direct labeling: stop the lines short of the right edge and put each data series' name and last value at its line end, in the line's color, instead of a legend. Three faint gridlines and a takeaway title.
How an expert would brief the stronger version of “Payment methods chart”.
See it
Try it as a puzzle →Volume chart in the operations dashboard of a small-business payments platform.
Why: A's three swatches sit in a row under the month labels, far from the lines they explain.
More ways experts use it
Compare the composition of orders by fulfilment option across four regions. Use a 100% stacked bar per region with the three segments in the same order, Express first, the percentage inside each segment and a shared legend, so Express can be compared from a common left edge instead of across four pies.
Fulfilment mix by region · Data & chartsDonut chart of revenue by channel with a legend beside it. Use a colorblind-safe categorical palette (Okabe–Ito style: blue, orange, green, pink) with a neutral grey for Referral, so every slice maps to its legend swatch at a glance. No single-hue ramps for unordered channels.
Revenue by channel · UI design
Related words
Room 1 · Essentials
Learn “Legend” in a five-minute lesson