What does Berinato mean by 'contextual awareness' in chart creation?

Berinato's statement 'a good chart is designed well because it's good' means that the effectiveness of a chart is not solely dependent on its aesthetic design, but rather on its ability to clearly and simply represent ideas in a way that's accessible to the audience. A well-designed chart is one that has excellent contextual awareness and good design execution. If the context is right, the design decisions will naturally follow, making the chart 'good'.

Getting the context right in chart creation significantly influences design decisions. Contextual awareness means representing ideas in a clear, simple way that's accessible to the audience. When the context is accurately understood and applied, many design decisions naturally fall into place. This is because the design choices will be guided by the need to effectively communicate the intended message or data to the audience. Therefore, a well-designed chart is not good merely because of its aesthetic appeal, but because it effectively communicates its content in a manner that is easily understood by its audience.

Audience accessibility is crucial in creating a good chart because it ensures that the ideas represented in the chart are clear and simple for the audience to understand. If the context is right and accessible to the audience, many design decisions take care of themselves, leading to a well-designed chart. A well-designed chart is not good because of its design, but its design is good because it effectively communicates the intended message to the audience.