I am working with this timeline as seen below. I'll try to explain it a bit:
- Each circle represents an event.
- There are no tick marks because it's not a "mission-critical" kind of data set.
- We just need a rough idea of events. Also, I have omitted the text for clarity.
- Desired aesthetic is still a professional one though
My personal take on my own work is good for the most part. I like how the colors "jump" out of the gray background rectangles.
However, the edges of the timeline (far left, far right) seem harsh. I tried capping them off with semi-circles but that resulted in a too "playful" kind of look. It seems adding too many circular elements tends to make it look less professional -- at least to my eyes.
Question
Is there a way to keep the rectangular shape of the rectangles without seeming too harsh?
Note: Feel free to critique other parts as well.