The 5 Most Important Principles of Data Visualization
Data visualization, in the simplest terms, is a graphical representation of data to understand patterns and communicate insights.

I reckon we all are now aware of the importance of dataviz in the current times. But, we still need to focus on the essential principles for creating effective and authentic visualizations. Misleading, confusing, and impractical visualizations are common and created by even the well-known dataviz designers and journalists among us.

“There are two goals when presenting data: convey your story and establish credibility.” — Edward Tufte

Follow these five principles to create compelling and competent visualizations:

Image by author

1. Tell the truth

I know this sounds pretty obvious, but unfortunately, it needs to be said. There are a plethora of graphs that misguide the reader by showcasing skewed data and projecting false narratives.

The job of the presenter is to inform the audience, not influence them.

Avoid these three misleading methods to ensure that your graphs are clear and honest.

A. Omitting the baseline

Generally, the baseline for a graph should start from zero unless specified otherwise. By starting the baseline from a different number, it can bias the perception of data. This technique is used to make the difference between data points seem to be greater than actual.

Images from Venngage and captions by the author.

B. Going against the conventions

There are certain conventions when plotting data. A larger bar indicates a greater amount, and a bigger area represents a higher number of values. By going against the convention, the viewer is unwittingly led to a wrong inference.

Images from Venngage and captions by the author.

C. Cherry-picking data

Cherry-picking is when only a few data points are plotted to show a misleading trend. This is one of the most common tactics used to mislead or deceive the audience.
['Shachee Swadia']
['Data Visualization', 'Visual Design', 'Dataviz', 'Visualization', 'Data Science']