https://blog.dev.simpleenough.net/tags/visualization/Recent content in Visualization on Simple Enough BlogHugoenTue, 30 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0200https://blog.dev.simpleenough.net/blog/graphicchoose/Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0200https://blog.dev.simpleenough.net/blog/graphicchoose/<p>Faced with a dataset, the same question always comes up: &ldquo;which chart should I use?&rdquo; We hesitate, try a pie chart, then bars, and often pick the one that &ldquo;looks best&rdquo; rather than the one that tells the truth. Yet the right chart depends neither on fashion nor aesthetics: it depends on <strong>the question your data must answer</strong>. This guide gives you a simple method to choose with confidence.</p> <hr> <h2 id="i-start-from-the-need-not-the-chart" class="heading">I. Start from the need, not the chart<a href="#i-start-from-the-need-not-the-chart" aria-labelledby="i-start-from-the-need-not-the-chart"> <!-- <i class="fas fa-link anchor"></i> --> <svg class="svg-inline--fa fas fa-link anchor" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" role="img" viewBox="0 0 640 512"><use href="#fas-link"></use></svg>&nbsp; </a> </h2> <p>The most common mistake is choosing a chart for its shape. The right approach is the opposite: start from the <strong>intent</strong>. Most visualizations answer one of these five questions:</p>