Visualization Selection Guide
Goal Chart Type
Compare categories Bar chart (horizontal if many labels)
Show distribution Histogram, box plot, violin plot
Show trend over time Line chart
Show correlation Scatter plot, heatmap
Show part-to-whole Pie (<=5 slices), stacked bar
Principles:
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Label axes and include units.
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Use color purposefully — not just for decoration.
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Avoid 3D charts; they distort perception.
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Start y-axis at 0 for bar charts (truncated bars mislead).
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Use a colorblind-safe palette (e.g., viridis , colorbrewer ).