What are the best practices for determining the size of your data visualizations?

1 Consider your audience

The size of your data visualizations should match the needs and expectations of your audience. Think about who will see your visualizations, where they will see them, and how they will interact with them. For example, if you are creating a dashboard for a large screen, you might want to use bigger and bolder visualizations to attract attention and convey impact. If you are creating a report for a small device, you might want to use smaller and simpler visualizations to avoid clutter and confusion. If you are creating a presentation for a live audience, you might want to use medium-sized visualizations that are easy to read and understand from a distance.

2 Follow the data-ink ratio

The data-ink ratio is a concept introduced by Edward Tufte, a pioneer of data visualization. It refers to the proportion of ink used to display the data versus the ink used for other elements, such as labels, axes, grid lines, or backgrounds. The higher the data-ink ratio, the more efficient and effective the visualization is. To increase the data-ink ratio, you should eliminate or minimize any unnecessary or redundant elements that do not add value to the data. You should also use the appropriate scale and format for your data, and avoid distorting or exaggerating the data with 3D effects, pie charts, or other misleading visualizations.

3 Adapt to the context

The size of your data visualizations should also depend on the context and purpose of your communication. Think about what message you want to convey, what story you want to tell, and what action you want to inspire with your data. For example, if you want to highlight a trend or a pattern in your data, you might want to use a larger visualization that shows the details and nuances of the data. If you want to compare or contrast different data points or categories, you might want to use a smaller visualization that shows the differences and similarities at a glance. If you want to provide an overview or a summary of your data, you might want to use a combination of different sizes and types of visualizations that show the main findings and insights.