Visualization Builder

When to use

• Choosing the right chart type for a specific analytical message
• A chart exists but is cluttered, misleading, or failing to make the point
• Building a chart for an executive presentation that must work without verbal explanation
• Producing consistent, branded visualisations across a report or dashboard
• Creating accessible charts that work for colorblind viewers or screen readers

Process

1. Identify the message type — classify the chart's purpose: comparison (bar), trend over time (line), composition / part-of-whole (stacked bar, pie only for 2–3 categories), distribution (histogram, box plot), or relationship (scatter). The message type determines the chart type. See references/chart_selection_guide.md.
2. Select and load the data — confirm the data is at the right grain for the chart. Aggregations (e.g., groupby month) should happen before plotting, not inside the chart library.
3. Build the base chart — use scripts/chart_builder.py with pre-set professional styling (whitegrid, sans-serif, accessible color palette). Set axes, ticks, and scale deliberately — default settings are often wrong.
4. Apply visual hierarchy — make the most important data element visually dominant (bolder line, darker bar, distinct color). De-emphasise secondary series. Remove every element that doesn't contribute to the message (gridlines at 0.2 alpha, no top/right spines). See references/visual_design_principles.md.
5. Annotate for the reader — add a descriptive title that states the finding ("Mobile churn is 2× desktop"), not the variable names ("Churn by device type"). Annotate key data points, thresholds, and reference lines directly on the chart. Add a data source and date.
6. Export and validate — export at 300 DPI for print or 150 DPI for web. View the chart at the intended display size. Check: is the key message legible in under 5 seconds? Does it work in greyscale? Complete assets/viz_spec_template.md if the chart is part of a larger deliverable.