I hadn’t realized there was no data to back up why we do this. It’s always seemed like a nicer alternative to actually showing the gridlines for a table in a presentation. And despite the author’s findings, I still find it helps me guide my eyes along each row. (I used to place rulers on my science papers where they don’t use zebra striping.)
But I definitely agree, keep it subtle. Making the differences between lines too (for lack of a better word) different can make any table ugly and hard to read.
I hadn’t realized there was no data to back up why we do this. It’s always seemed like a nicer alternative to actually showing the gridlines for a table in a presentation. And despite the author’s findings, I still find it helps me guide my eyes along each row. (I used to place rulers on my science papers where they don’t use zebra striping.)
But I definitely agree, keep it subtle. Making the differences between lines too (for lack of a better word) different can make any table ugly and hard to read.