Dos and Don’ts of Data Visualisation

Small multiples

Small multiples are an elegant and efficient way to display many data and to avoid cluttering in one single chart. They provide a narrative about the change displayed (if time is represented) and an overview that doesn’t sacrifice the details.

For maps, small multiples may also convey the message much better than an animation, so they are a good alternative to interactive visualisations.

Good practice is to:

• order the categories intentionally to show trends or ranking;
• possibly use a common scale;
• use a simple chart type;
• use the same colours for all charts.