rules

There are visualization rules and there are visualization suggestions. Most are suggestions. The ones that are rules exist because of how our brains process visual information. There's just no getting around it.

There are rules—usually for specific chart types meant to be read in a specific way—that you shouldn't break. When they are, everyone loses. This is that small handful.

This is part two in a seven-part series on basic rules for graph design. Rule #1 was to check your data. Today we cover rule #2: explain your encodings. The…

Now that we’ve covered the 7 basic rules to graph design, it’s time to go deeper, starting with the first: check the data. I have to admit. Data checking is…

Charts and graphs have found their way into news, presentations, and comics, with users from art to design to statistics. The design principles for these data graphics will vary depending…