Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
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Quick answers
When should I pick Data-to-chart decision?
When the story is: first 60 seconds of any report, ad claim or assignment figure.
When should I avoid Data-to-chart decision?
Skip it in cases like: picking a chart because it looks fancy in the template gallery.
Who invented or popularised it?
Bertin semiology; modern chooser guides and grammar-of-graphics tools
What does it encode?
task type mapped to mark and channel (length, position, angle, color)
Is it OK in ads?
Yes if one claim is visible at a glance in Meta, Google and retail print; otherwise link to a full figure.
Will a teacher accept it?
Yes for lab reports and poster boards if axes, units and a source line are present.
Data-to-chart decision encodes values as task type mapped to mark and channel (length, position, angle, color). Bertin semiology; modern chooser guides and grammar-of-graphics tools.
In reports, ads and assignments it fits first 60 seconds of any report, ad claim or assignment figure. Skip it when picking a chart because it looks fancy in the template gallery.
Software
- Observable Plot — Concise grammar for tidy data - excellent for trying encodings fast. · ISC · github.com/observablehq/plot
- Vega-Lite — Declarative specs that force you to name the encoding. · BSD-3-Clause · github.com/vega/vega-lite
- D3 — Low-level marks when the chooser says you need a custom form. · ISC · github.com/d3/d3
- Chart.js — Quick web charts once the encoding decision is settled. · MIT · github.com/chartjs/Chart.js
- Viz chooser pillar — This site chooser filters forms by job without a SaaS login. · CC0 examples · github.com/Tool-Lifes/viz-atlas
Exports
- Exports 1 — SVG
- Exports 2 — PDF
- Exports 3 — EMF/SVG into slides (no screenshots)
- Exports 4 — SVG for web, PDF for print
Accessibility
- Accessibility 1 — Never hue alone. Stack pattern, label and position.
- Accessibility 2 — 4.5:1 for text, 3:1 for large marks.
- Accessibility 3 — Short alt text on the chart; numbers also as an HTML table.
- Accessibility 4 — Motion only as emphasis. Honour prefers-reduced-motion.
Data-to-chart decision: honour task type mapped to mark and channel (length, position, angle, color), and switch when picking a chart because it looks fancy in the template gallery.