Data Visualization Skill

Master the art and science of effective data visualization, from chart selection to dashboard design and data storytelling.

Quick Start (5 minutes)

1. Match your data relationship to the right chart type
2. Apply the 5-second rule: key insight visible immediately
3. Use color purposefully (not decoratively)
4. Follow accessibility guidelines (WCAG 2.1)

Core Concepts

The Visual Hierarchy

WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT?
         │
    ┌────┴────┐
    ▼         ▼
  SIZE      POSITION
    │         │
    └────┬────┘
         │
    ┌────┴────┐
    ▼         ▼
  COLOR     CONTRAST
    │         │
    └────┬────┘
         │
    DETAIL/ANNOTATION

Chart Selection Matrix

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    CHART SELECTION GUIDE                     │
├────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ SHOWING            │ RECOMMENDED CHART                      │
├────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Change over time   │ Line (continuous), Bar (discrete)      │
│ Comparison         │ Bar (horizontal if many items)         │
│ Part-to-whole      │ Stacked Bar, Treemap (NOT pie >5 items)│
│ Distribution       │ Histogram, Box Plot, Violin            │
│ Correlation        │ Scatter, Bubble                        │
│ Geographic         │ Choropleth, Symbol Map                 │
│ Ranking            │ Horizontal Bar (sorted)                │
│ Flow/Process       │ Sankey, Funnel                         │
│ Hierarchy          │ Treemap, Sunburst                      │
└────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────┘

The Data-Ink Ratio

Edward Tufte's Principle:

                    Data-Ink
Data-Ink Ratio = ─────────────
                  Total Ink

MAXIMIZE data-ink. MINIMIZE chart junk.

Chart Junk (avoid):          Data-Ink (maximize):
• 3D effects                 • Axes and labels
• Decorative images          • Data points/bars
• Gradient fills             • Trend lines
• Excessive gridlines        • Annotations
• Drop shadows               • Reference lines

Code Examples

Color Palette Definitions (CSS Variables)

/* Sequential Palette (for ordered data) */
:root {
  --seq-1: #f7fbff;
  --seq-2: #c6dbef;
  --seq-3: #6baed6;
  --seq-4: #2171b5;
  --seq-5: #084594;
}

/* Diverging Palette (for data with midpoint) */
:root {
  --div-neg-2: #d73027;
  --div-neg-1: #fc8d59;
  --div-neutral: #ffffbf;
  --div-pos-1: #91cf60;
  --div-pos-2: #1a9850;
}

/* Categorical Palette (max 7 distinct) */
:root {
  --cat-1: #1f77b4;
  --cat-2: #ff7f0e;
  --cat-3: #2ca02c;
  --cat-4: #d62728;
  --cat-5: #9467bd;
  --cat-6: #8c564b;
  --cat-7: #e377c2;
}

/* Semantic Colors */
:root {
  --positive: #22c55e;
  --negative: #ef4444;
  --neutral: #6b7280;
  --warning: #f59e0b;
}

Dashboard Layout (Grid System)

/* 12-column responsive grid */
.dashboard {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(12, 1fr);
  grid-gap: 16px;
  padding: 24px;
}

/* KPI Cards - Top Row */
.kpi-card {
  grid-column: span 3;  /* 4 cards across */
}

/* Primary Chart - Full Width */
.primary-chart {
  grid-column: span 12;
}

/* Secondary Charts - Half Width */
.secondary-chart {
  grid-column: span 6;
}

/* Responsive Breakpoints */
@media (max-width: 1024px) {
  .kpi-card { grid-column: span 6; }
  .secondary-chart { grid-column: span 12; }
}

@media (max-width: 640px) {
  .kpi-card { grid-column: span 12; }
}

Chart Configuration (JSON)

{
  "chart": {
    "type": "line",
    "title": "Monthly Revenue Trend",
    "subtitle": "Last 12 months vs prior year"
  },
  "data": {
    "source": "revenue_monthly",
    "x": "month",
    "y": ["current_year", "prior_year"]
  },
  "axes": {
    "x": {
      "label": "Month",
      "format": "MMM YYYY"
    },
    "y": {
      "label": "Revenue ($)",
      "format": "$,.0f",
      "min": 0
    }
  },
  "colors": {
    "current_year": "#2563eb",
    "prior_year": "#9ca3af"
  },
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "line",
      "value": 1000000,
      "label": "Target",
      "style": "dashed"
    }
  ],
  "legend": {
    "position": "top",
    "alignment": "right"
  },
  "accessibility": {
    "alt_text": "Line chart showing monthly revenue for current and prior year",
    "keyboard_navigable": true
  }
}

Best Practices

Dashboard Design Patterns

F-Pattern (Executive Dashboards)

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  [KPI 1]  [KPI 2]  [KPI 3]  [KPI 4]    │  ← Eyes start here
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  [Primary Chart - Revenue Trend]        │  ← Scan left to right
├────────────────────┬────────────────────┤
│  [Top Products]    │  [Top Regions]     │  ← Drop down
├────────────────────┴────────────────────┤
│  [Detail Table]                         │  ← Scan for details
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Z-Pattern (Narrative Dashboards)

1 ─────────────────────────────────> 2
                                     │
                                     ▼
3 <───────────────────────────────── 4
│
▼
5 ─────────────────────────────> [CTA]

Color Usage Rules

✓ DO:
• Use color to encode data (meaningful)
• Limit palette to 7 colors maximum
• Ensure 4.5:1 contrast ratio (WCAG AA)
• Use colorblind-safe palettes
• Keep semantic consistency (red=bad, green=good)

✗ DON'T:
• Use color as decoration
• Use red-green as only differentiator
• Use rainbow gradients
• Use highly saturated colors for large areas
• Change color meanings mid-dashboard

Accessibility Checklist

□ Alt text for all charts
□ Color contrast meets WCAG 2.1 AA (4.5:1)
□ Color is not the only visual encoding
□ Keyboard navigation works
□ Screen reader compatibility
□ Font size minimum 12px
□ Pattern/texture for colorblind users
□ Captions for interactive elements

Common Patterns

KPI Card Design

┌─────────────────────────────┐
│  Revenue                    │  ← Label
│  $1.2M                      │  ← Value (large)
│  ▲ 12.5% vs LY             │  ← Comparison
│  ▔▔▔▔▔▔▁▁▁▂▃▅█            │  ← Sparkline
└─────────────────────────────┘

Components:
• Metric name (clear, concise)
• Current value (prominent)
• Comparison (vs target, prior period)
• Trend indicator (arrow + %)
• Sparkline (optional context)

Data Storytelling Structure

1. HOOK: Lead with the insight
   "Revenue dropped 15% in Q3"

2. CONTEXT: Establish baseline
   "We typically grow 5% per quarter"

3. TENSION: Show the problem
   "Top 3 products all underperformed"

4. RESOLUTION: Present the insight
   "Supply chain issues caused stockouts"

5. CALL TO ACTION: Drive decision
   "Approve 2nd supplier contract"

Annotation Types

const annotationTypes = {
  reference_line: {
    use_case: "Target, benchmark, threshold",
    example: "Target: $1M"
  },
  trend_line: {
    use_case: "Show direction/pattern",
    example: "Linear regression"
  },
  callout: {
    use_case: "Highlight specific point",
    example: "Peak: Dec 2024"
  },
  range_band: {
    use_case: "Show acceptable range",
    example: "Budget ± 10%"
  },
  event_marker: {
    use_case: "Mark significant event",
    example: "Product launch: Mar 1"
  }
};

Retry Logic

const renderChart = async (config: ChartConfig) => {
  const retryConfig = {
    maxRetries: 3,
    backoffMs: [1000, 2000, 4000]
  };

  for (let attempt = 0; attempt <= retryConfig.maxRetries; attempt++) {
    try {
      return await chartLibrary.render(config);
    } catch (error) {
      if (attempt === retryConfig.maxRetries) throw error;
      console.warn(`Render attempt ${attempt + 1} failed, retrying...`);
      await sleep(retryConfig.backoffMs[attempt]);
    }
  }
};

Logging Hooks

const vizHooks = {
  onChartRender: (chartId, duration) => {
    console.log(`[VIZ] Chart ${chartId} rendered in ${duration}ms`);
    metrics.histogram('chart.render_time', duration);
  },

  onInteraction: (chartId, event) => {
    console.log(`[VIZ] Interaction on ${chartId}: ${event.type}`);
    analytics.track('chart_interaction', { chartId, event });
  },

  onError: (chartId, error) => {
    console.error(`[VIZ] Error on ${chartId}: ${error.message}`);
    metrics.increment('chart.errors');
  }
};

Unit Test Template

describe('Data Visualization Skill', () => {
  describe('Chart Selection', () => {
    it('should recommend line chart for time series', () => {
      const result = selectChart({
        dataType: 'time_series',
        comparison: 'trend'
      });
      expect(result.primary).toBe('line');
    });

    it('should warn against pie chart for >5 categories', () => {
      const result = selectChart({
        dataType: 'categorical',
        categories: 8
      });
      expect(result.warnings).toContain('TOO_MANY_CATEGORIES');
    });
  });

  describe('Accessibility', () => {
    it('should validate color contrast', () => {
      const isValid = validateContrast('#2563eb', '#ffffff');
      expect(isValid).toBe(true);
    });

    it('should require alt text', () => {
      const config = { type: 'bar' };
      const errors = validateAccessibility(config);
      expect(errors).toContain('MISSING_ALT_TEXT');
    });
  });
});

Troubleshooting

Resources

• Edward Tufte: The Visual Display of Quantitative Information
• Stephen Few: Information Dashboard Design
• Cole Nussbaumer: Storytelling with Data
• WCAG 2.1: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
• IBCS: International Business Communication Standards

Version History