Shape
Data Table Design
Laying out tables so people can read, compare and act on rows of data.
What is Data Table Design?
Laying out tables so people can read, compare and act on rows of data.
What you learn
Align and label tables so people compare the right values.
When it helps
people compare records in a table and misread values or lose their place.
Use it at work
- Align numbers on the decimal point. For medicine doses, write 0.5 and 5, never .5 or 5.0.
- Put units in the column header.
- Keep headers visible while scrolling.
- Let people sort and filter by what they compare.
Your output
Check one table: align decimal points, show units in the headers, and keep headers visible. For medicine doses, keep leading zeros and never add trailing zeros.
Watch for
Misaligned numbers, missing units and headers that scroll away. In medicine doses, missing leading zeros or added trailing zeros can cause errors.
Related practices
Sources
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