Keeping visualizations simple

Some people tire of seeing the same chart types over and over. This leads to requests such as, can we spice up the dashboard a bit? Normally, such sentiments should be resisted. As stated at the beginning of this chapter, introducing variety for its own sake is counterproductive. Nevertheless, there are times when a less common visualization type may be a better choice than a more popular type. When are those times?

Use less common chart types in the following scenarios:

• The chart is used to catch the end user's attention.
• The chart type presents the data more effectively.

Sometimes, a less common chart type can be effectively used to catch the end user's attention for some particular goal, such as humor, making a salient point, or making the visualization more memorable. One such example can be found on the Tableau 404 error page. Navigate to http://www.tableau.com/asdf and observe Sasquatch in a packed bubble...