Rule of Consistency
Visual meanings stay consistent.
Requirement
Within a comparison workspace, the same entity or status must retain its color, symbol, and line-style meaning across charts, filters, sorting, and viewport changes. Different meanings must not silently reuse an established encoding. Essential distinctions must remain understandable without color alone.
Why
Relearning a visual vocabulary consumes attention and invites incorrect comparisons.
Exception
Theme or accessibility changes may alter the palette while preserving the mapping and an identifiable label or other distinguishing mark. An explicitly different encoding, such as coloring carriers by risk instead of identity, must be explained where that encoding is used. Discovery application: When a subject mark identifies an entity in a list, carry that meaning into its detail view. Require the mark in each relevant component and compare actual visual evidence; matching identity labels alone cannot establish matching artwork. Scope intentional theme or encoding changes.
Examples
The pair isolates this rule. A good example is not approval of the entire interface.
Good for this task
Aster remains green and Beacon remains blue across the table, chart, filters, and viewport changes.
Parcels by carrier
Bad for this task
Carrier colors are reassigned after sorting, forcing the reader to relearn the visual mapping.
Parcels by carrier
These synthetic fixtures illustrate the stated comparison. Native checks can support review of declared scales, context, encodings, geometry, and legibility; they do not establish data truth or task relevance. Review the requirement and exceptions above.
Enforcement
automated is the strongest mechanism Viewrule expects for the complete rule. Partial checks can still provide supporting evidence without proving the whole requirement.