What We Know About The Economist's 'Seeing Red' Chart Essay

The Economist's data journalism team published a new edition of its "Off the Charts" newsletter on Oct. 30, 2026, arguing that colors used in charts carry unequal weight for readers, according to the newsletter itself (The Economist). The edition, titled "Seeing red," was written by Alex Selby-Boothroyd, the paper's head of data journalism, whose central claim is summarized by the publication as: "Not all colours are created equal."

Who wrote "Seeing Red" and what is Off the Charts?

"Off the Charts" is The Economist's recurring newsletter on data visualization, produced by the paper's graphic-detail desk. The Oct. 30 edition carries the byline of Alex Selby-Boothroyd, described by the publication as its head of data journalism. The newsletter format typically walks readers through a single design or statistical question using examples drawn from the paper's own charts, though the specific examples used in this edition sit behind the link above.

What does "Seeing Red" argue about color choice?

The headline claim, as framed by the publication, is that colors used in charts are "not... created equal" — some combinations communicate meaning clearly, while others can introduce ambiguity or bias in how a reader interprets the same underlying numbers. The newsletter's title plays on the idiom "seeing red," suggesting the piece treats that particular hue as a test case for how a single color choice can shift a reader's takeaway from a chart. Beyond that framing, The Economist had not published additional detail outside the newsletter itself at the time of this report.

Why does color matter in how readers interpret data?

Chart designers routinely choose palettes to signal comparisons, direction or urgency, and the wrong choice can obscure the trend a chart is meant to reveal. That premise — that color sits alongside typography and chart type as a core design decision — is the territory the Economist newsletter opens with its framing that colors are not interchangeable.

Where can readers find the full newsletter, and what remains unclear?

The complete newsletter, including whatever charts or examples Selby-Boothroyd uses to make the case, is available directly from The Economist. The publication had not released the newsletter's full text for free syndication, so specific chart examples or figures referenced inside the edition were not independently verifiable at publication time.

How does this fit into wider data-and-design coverage?

The question of how visual choices shape audience understanding extends beyond newsletters about chart design into coverage of how artificial intelligence tools are reshaping creative and data work more broadly. HTT News has reported separately on a San Francisco project using fly brain activity to power a creative AI tool, and on how organizations are tracking the emotional dynamics of AI adoption in workplaces. HTT News has also covered Meta's new AI-focused subscription plans, part of a broader push by technology companies to monetize AI tools used in content and design work, including data visualization.

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