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Data Visualisation Guide

Width to height ratio

1 minute read

Pitfalls in dataviz: scales

A wide chart layout, with a high width to height ratio, will flatten trends in time series. A high layout, with a low width to height ratio, will do the reverse and stress or even dramatise trends in the data.

A line chart with a flat and wide layout

A wide and flat layout suggest slow trends or even flat lines. Source: Maarten Lambrechts, CC BY 4.0

The same line chart as above, but with a narrow and high layout

Narrow and high designs exaggerate trends. Source: Maarten Lambrechts, CC BY 4.0

So in a sense, changing the width to height ratio of a line chart has the same effect as truncating (or extending) the y axis. So what is a “good”, “correct” or “honest” aspect ratio for line charts? One often cited rule, called “banking to 45 degrees”, says that the average slope of the lines on a chart should be 45 degrees. So you could try to aim for that.

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Pitfalls with dates

Fonts for numbers

Colour for numerical data: #EndRainbow

Colour for numerical data: perceptual uniformity

Arrangement and reading direction

Visual hierarchy: sizing

Pitfalls in dataviz: scales