Ensuring that products meet a set of minimum standards helps improve the quality and consistency of the SIMS portfolio, and ensures that we are in compliance with certain IFRC brand guidelines. Review the following checklist before submitting products to the SIMS Remote Coordinator or other operational contact during the course of an operation.
Design
- Have I included the IFRC logo and host National Society logo(s)? Is the host National Society logo displayed first?
- Have I used colors, fonts, and icons consistent with the IFRC branding guidelines (where possible?)
- Have I included the most up-to-date versions of National Society logos? If using raster versions of logos (or icons), have I made sure the quality/resolution of the source image is high enough to avoid pixelation at the display size?
- Have I included a legend which defines any icons used?
- Are font sizes consistent and legible?
- Are all elements aligned using a design tool’s align feature?
- Have I used the Data Viz Accessibility Checklist to maximize the accessibility of my visualization to audience members with different needs?
- Have I used appropriate visual hierarchy, meaning that the most important information is visually more prominent than other information?
Maps
- Have I referenced the official IFRC shapefiles in order to avoid issues with disputed borders?
- Have I included the appropriate disclaimer if a map is included in the product?
- Have I included a legend with all geographical elements, and scale (if relevant)?
- Have I checked to ensure any contested admin boundaries are labeled in a sensitive and neutral manner?
- Have I used the OCHA icon set for any icon markers that appear on the map?
- Is the map sized and formatted according to the original request?
- If using color or size scales, have I limited the categories to four or less (as five or more categories have less differentiation and can be harder to interpret)?
Data
- Have I included a footnote with all data sources used and links (if possible)?
- Have I included the date on which the data was last updated?
- Have I reviewed all data visualizations to ensure data is presented clearly and accurately, to decrease risk of misinterpretation?
- Have I labeled all axes appropriately?
- Have I included units of measure where relevant?
- Have I explained any technical terms/concepts in a manner that is appropriate with the technical level of understanding of the target audience?
- Is data aggregated, with all Personal Identifying Information removed?
File Management and Handover
- Have I included the original design file in the relevant folder in the SIMS Dropbox?
- Have I named the file(s) with the appropriate naming convention?
- Have I included the file’s Dropbox link on the task Trello card?
- Have I ensured that any data that contains Personal Identifying Information is not put on the SIMS Dropbox?