Графиктердегі қажетсіз элементтер

Term for unnecessary visual elements in charts

Chartjunk consists of all visual elements in charts and graphs that are not necessary to comprehend the information represented on the graph, or that distract the viewer from this information. Markings and visual elements can be called chartjunk if they are not part of the minimum set of visuals necessary to communicate the information understandably. Examples of unnecessary elements that might be called chartjunk include heavy or dark grid lines, unnecessary text, inappropriately complex or gimmicky font faces, ornamented chart axes, and display frames, pictures, backgrounds or icons within data graphs, ornamental shading and unnecessary dimensions. Another kind of chartjunk skews the depiction and makes it difficult to understand the real data being displayed. Examples of this type include items depicted out of scale to one another, noisy backgrounds making comparison between elements difficult in a chart or graph, and 3 D simulations in line and bar charts. The term chartjunk was coined by Edward Tufte in his 1983 book The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. The concept is analogous to Adolf Loos's idea that ornament is a crime.

The term chartjunk was first coined by Edward Tufte in 1983. Tufte, in coining the term chartjunk, also made direct comments about a well known designer at that time, Nigel Holmes. <blockquote>Nearly all those who produce graphics for mass publication are trained exclusively in the fine arts and have had little experience with the analysis of data. Such experiences are essential for achieving precision and grace in the presence of statistics Those who get ahead are those who beautified data, never mind statistical integrity." Tufte critiques Holmes' Diamonds chart:"Consider this unsavory exhibit at right – chockablock with cliché and stereotype, coarse humor, and a content empty third dimension Credibility vanishes in clouds of chartjunk; who would trust a chart that looks like a video game? "In a 1992 New York Times article, the reporter captures Holmes' response to Tufte's criticism:"Time's Nigel Holmes, creator of the diamonds graph, was understandably irked when Tufte criticized it. Holmes admits his work has sometimes been exaggerated, but feels that Tufte, in his insistence on absolute mathematical fidelity, remains trapped in ’the world of academia’ and insensitive to ’the world of commerce,’ with its need to grab an audience"This debate between Tufte and Holmes is emblematic of the tension between statistical and designerly approaches to visualization design.

The information visualization research community has researched the effects of chartjunk on how viewers interpret visualizations. There have been studies that found that chartjunk increases long term memorability of the chart. A recent study found that chartjunk, in the form of semantically meaningful icons, increased accessibility of charts for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD).