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ملخص الموقع للذكاء الاصطناعي·ملف الملف الشخصي للذكاء الاصطناعي

جميع الحقوق محفوظة © 2026 جاجان مالك.

الخصوصية|شروط الاستخدام|خريطة الموقع

Data Visualisation lab by Gagan Malik — judgment over catalogue: which comparison to draw (level, rate, share, index), how to show fog (confidence bands, forecast fans), when to use small multiples, waffles and per-capita maps instead of raw choropleths, and what not to trust (radar rankings, overstuffed donuts, area-as-people). Forced-dark SVG on site --chart-* tokens.

  1. Lab
  2. Data Visualisation
Cover image for Data Visualisation
التكنولوجيا6 أغسطس 2026

Data Visualisation

بقلم جاجان مالك

27 دقيقة قراءة

كل الأشكال

سمِّ المهمة أولاً، ثم الشكل. كل بطاقة هي الشكل. الرسم الجاهز يأخذ أرقام النص نفسه.

Compare10Change over time9Show the exception4Show uncertainty6Show the mix12Relationship and spread5Compare many4Count people2Flow8Structure9Position and cause4Strategy11Place7Experience and work4Systems11Do not use1

Compare

10 أشكال

Bar

One region leads the ranking. The lead is a level, not a change.

Five regions, ranked. Each bar starts at zero.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Amounts across a handful of categories, against a named baseline, peer, prior period or target

لا يُستخدم. Bars with no comparison named, or a scale cut short without saying so

Dumbbell

Every row has moved right. Where it ends is not how far it moved.

Four regions. The left dot is the earlier value, the right dot the later one.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Two values for each category, such as before and after, or actual against target

لا يُستخدم. More than two points on one row

Slopegraph

B rises while A and C fall. A rising line is not a leading level.

Four items, before and after. The rank of the change is the slope.

BEFOREAFTER
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. The change between exactly two moments, for several items

لا يُستخدم. Three or more moments. Use a line or a bump

Heatmap

The first row ends darker than it starts. Darker is higher, not later.

Four rows and six columns. Darker is higher.

LowHigh
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A value at every crossing of two lists, read as a pattern

لا يُستخدم. Exact reading of single values. Use a table

Dot plot

Two dots sit past the reference. Clearing the line is not the same as leading.

Five regions, one grey series, ranked against the dashed line.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. One value per category against a marked reference, such as a cohort median

لا يُستخدم. Dots with no reference to read them against

Bullet

Trial clears its target. The rest miss theirs.

Four measures. The bar is the actual. The gap runs to the target.

Reach
Reply
Trial
Paid
ActualGap
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Actual against target for several measures, with the shortfall visible

لا يُستخدم. Targets the piece does not state

Mirror bar

The right side leads from 45 up. Both sides are the same ages.

Two groups, same age bands, back to back from the centre.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Two groups back to back across the same categories, such as two answers by age. By age and sex it is a population pyramid

لا يُستخدم. Groups that do not share the categories

Lollipop

The longest stem is at the top. A short stem is still a real value.

Six items, ranked, each stem starting at zero.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Many categories ranked, where bars would be a wall of ink

لا يُستخدم. A scale that does not start at zero

Big number

Thirty-seven of a hundred are filled. The empty cells are the rest of the whole.

One count, read against the full hundred.

37OF 100COMPLETED SIGNUP
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. One figure that carries the point, with what it is compared against, such as 37 of 100

لا يُستخدم. A number with no comparison, period or source

Table

West holds the largest value. The share beside it is the check.

Five regions. Share and value are both on the row, so the figure can be checked.

RegionShareValueNorth1842East1127West2461South915Central1433
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Exact values the reader will look up, with bars or shading in the cells where a pattern matters

لا يُستخدم. A table where the reader needs the pattern, not the values. Draw the chart

Change over time

9 أشكال

Line

The line ends higher than it starts. May is the best month.

One series, January to May. The circle marks the end. The dot sits inside it.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A continuous trend over regular time

لا يُستخدم. Uneven gaps drawn as if they were even

Bump

The February leader finishes last. An early lead is not the result.

The circle marks where February's leader finishes. The dot sits inside it.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Rank order moving across several snapshots

لا يُستخدم. Values, when the size of the gap matters

Ridgeline

The bottom ridge is the marked one. Place in the stack is not the value.

Four distributions, one row each. January to May runs along the base.

JanFebMarAprMay
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. The shape of a distribution, one row per period or group

لا يُستخدم. Fewer than four rows

Waterfall

The end is 20, down from 76. The steps explain the drop, not the end alone.

Points. The opening and the result are levels. Each step between them is a signed change.

76Start−14Cut−12Cost−16Tax−14Loss20End
OpeningEach stepResult
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A starting total carried to an ending total by the gains and losses between

لا يُستخدم. Contributions that do not add up to the change

Timeline

The gaps between the marks are uneven. The gap is the time, not the importance.

Five dated events on one line. The space between them is the time.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Dated events in order, with the gaps between them meaningful

لا يُستخدم. Undated steps. Use a process

Gantt

Test overlaps the bar before it. Overlap is shared time, not a shared owner.

Five pieces of work across the same dates. A dashed link marks the dependency.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Pieces of work across dates, with overlaps and dependencies

لا يُستخدم. A plan nobody holds to

Area

The area ends higher than it starts. May is the high point.

One total, January to May. The circle marks the end. The dot sits inside it.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. One total over time, where the volume is the point

لا يُستخدم. Several overlapping areas. Use small multiples

Stock price

Five days close below where they opened. A down day is the body, not the wick.

Eight sessions. The wick is the high and low. The wash is a down day.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Open, high, low and close for each period, for a price

لا يُستخدم. Any measure that is not traded

Line and column

Both measures finish higher than they start. May is the high month.

Columns are one measure and the line is the other. The circle marks the end.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Two measures over the same periods, one as columns and one as a line, such as revenue and margin

لا يُستخدم. Two scales set so the measures appear to move together

Show the exception

The rest of the data is drawn quietly so the one that differs stands out.

Highlighted line

One line pulls away from the pack. The gap opens in May.

Five series. The circle marks where the gap opens. The dot sits inside it.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. One series against the pack, the rest muted and unlabelled

لا يُستخدم. Every series in full strength

Connected scatter

The path ends up and to the right. The last point is the latest, not the largest.

The circle marks the latest point. The dot sits inside it.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. How two measures moved together over time, the path joined in order

لا يُستخدم. A path the reader cannot follow without arrows

Arrow chart

Three arrows point right, and two point left. Direction is the change, not the start.

Five items. The dot is the start. The arrowhead is the end.

ABCDEMeasure
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Where each item started and ended on one or two measures

لا يُستخدم. Arrows that cross so often they hide the movement

Parity scatter

One point sits well above the line of equality. Above means more of the second measure.

Items on two measures. The circle marks the one that sits apart.

FirstSecond
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Items against a line where the two measures are equal, so the one off the line shows

لا يُستخدم. A parity line with no meaning in the piece

Show uncertainty

A single line drawn as if it were certain says more than the data knows.

Confidence band

The band stays wide around a rising centre. The width is uncertainty, not a target.

The wash is the uncertainty. The line is the centre. The dot is the end.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A central estimate with the range it could plausibly fall in

لا يُستخدم. A band whose level of confidence is not stated

Fan chart

The range widens after the last observed point. Wider means less certainty, not more growth.

The wash is the forecast. The dot is the last observed point.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A forecast whose range widens the further it reaches, after the last observed value

لا يُستخدم. A forecast drawn as a single line

Zones

The line climbs out of poor and into good. A new band is a change of state.

The wash is good. The line is grey. The dot is the end, inside it.

GOODPOOR
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A measure over time against bands that say what is good, normal or poor

لا يُستخدم. Bands the piece does not define

Range bar

The first two ranges are the widest. Width is spread, not a high average.

Four groups. Each bar runs from that group's low to its high.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. The low and high for each group, side by side

لا يُستخدم. Ranges with different meanings on one chart

Error bars

Two intervals still meet the line. A point past the line is not a settled lead.

Four groups, ranked. The line is the baseline. The bar is the 95% interval.

1×NorthCoastEastWest
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A point and its interval for each group, read against a reference

لا يُستخدم. An interval whose level of confidence is not stated

Violin

The middle violin bulges lower than the others. The bulge is where values sit, not a total.

Three groups. The width at each height is how many sit there. The mark is the median.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. The full shape of a distribution for a few groups

لا يُستخدم. Readers who need only the median. Use a box plot or a dot plot

Show the mix

12 أشكال

Stacked or diverging bar

The third row has the longest bar on the right. Right of centre is away, not a larger group.

Four rows. Toward sits left of centre. Away sits right.

South
North
Coast
East
TowardAway
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Shares that add to a whole, or views split either side of neutral

لا يُستخدم. Eight or more segments

Treemap

One block is larger than the other three together. Area is the value, not the order.

Four parts of one whole. Area is the value.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Part of a whole where the relative sizes are the point

لا يُستخدم. Parts too small to label

Marimekko

The first column is the widest. Width and the band inside it are two different splits.

A whole split two ways. Width is one split. Height inside the column is the other.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A whole split two ways at once, such as market by region and by segment

لا يُستخدم. A split the reader cannot name both ways

Funnel

Each stage is narrower than the one above. Narrower means a subset, not a smaller market.

Four stages. Each is a subset of the one before it.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Drop-off from one stage to the next

لا يُستخدم. Stages that are not a subset of the one before

Polar

Two spokes are much longer than the rest. Length is the value, and the cycle is not a ranking.

One series around a cycle, such as the months. Length is the value.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. One series across categories that repeat in a cycle, such as months

لا يُستخدم. Categories with no cycle

Pie

One share is more than half the circle. The other share is the rest of the same whole.

Two shares of one whole. The larger share is the point.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Two or three shares of one whole, where one share is the point

لا يُستخدم. More than three slices, or two pies compared

Donut

The largest segment is just over half. The hole is the total, not a missing share.

Three segments of one whole. The total sits in the middle.

TOTAL
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. The same as a pie, with the total in the middle

لا يُستخدم. More than three segments, or segments the reader must compare

Sunburst

The outer ring splits each inner share again. Those pieces are parts of parts, not new wholes.

One whole, two levels deep. The inner ring is the first split.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A whole broken down two levels deep, as rings

لا يُستخدم. Three levels or more

Stacked area

The stack finishes higher than it starts. A band's thickness is not a shared baseline.

Three parts of one total over time. Read the thickness, not a shared baseline.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. How the parts of a total moved over time

لا يُستخدم. More than four parts, or parts the reader must compare one by one

Streamgraph

The middle band swells, then eases. The mix matters more than any one value.

Three parts. The shape of the mix matters more than any single value.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. How the mix ebbed and flowed, when the shape matters more than the values

لا يُستخدم. Exact reading of any part

Diverging area

The series crosses the line once. Above and below are two sides of one thing.

Net gains and losses of the same thing. Above the line is one side, below is the other.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Net gains and losses over time either side of zero

لا يُستخدم. Gains and losses that are not of the same thing

Pareto

The running total meets 80% at the third bar. The long tail is not the priority.

Items ranked by size. The line is the running share of the whole.

80%
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Items ranked by size, with a running total showing how few make up most of the whole

لا يُستخدم. Items that are not parts of one total

Relationship and spread

5 أشكال

Scatter

The points rise together from left to right. Together is a pattern, not a cause.

Two measures. No line of fit is drawn.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Whether two measures move together

لا يُستخدم. A line of fit drawn with no reason given in the piece

Bubble

The largest circle is not the furthest right. Size and position answer different questions.

Two measures set the position. Larger is more of a third measure.

Larger is more.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A scatter with a third measure that matters, as size

لا يُستخدم. Size the reader is asked to compare exactly

Beeswarm

The dots pile up just left of centre. The pile is how many, not one typical value.

Every item along one measure, one dot each.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Every item along one measure, one dot each

لا يُستخدم. More dots than the size can hold apart

Box plot

One group sits many times above the line. It is not the whole picture.

Four groups, ranked. Multiple of the baseline, log scale. The bar is the 95% interval.

0.5×1×5×AfghanistanSouth AsiaAmericas and CaribbeanEast Asia and Oceania
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A point and its interval for each group, read against a reference

لا يُستخدم. An interval whose level of confidence is not stated

Histogram

The counts peak in the middle bins. The tails are real values, not errors.

One measure, bins of equal width, each bar from zero.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. How one measure is spread, in bins of equal width

لا يُستخدم. Bins of unequal width without saying so

Compare many

Several small charts on one shared scale read faster than one crowded chart.

Small multiples

One panel falls away from the others. The shared scale is what makes the fall fair.

The same chart, six times, on one shared scale.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. The same chart repeated for each group on one shared scale

لا يُستخدم. Scales that change from panel to panel

Sparkline

Two rows finish higher than they start. The spark is the shape, not a precise reading.

The circle marks a row that finishes higher. The dot sits inside it.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A trend in the space of a word

لا يُستخدم. A sparkline the reader must read values from

Calendar heatmap

Midweek cells are darker than the weekend. The pattern is the week, not one day.

Daily values laid out as weeks. Darker is higher.

MWF
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Daily values laid out as weeks, so the rhythm of the week shows

لا يُستخدم. Data that is not daily

Parallel coordinates

One line crosses the pack between the last two axes. Crossing is a different profile, not a higher total.

Five items, four measures. Each line is one item.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Several items compared on many measures at once, one line each

لا يُستخدم. More items than the lines can keep apart

Count people

People are counted as rates per person, never as raw totals spread over area.

Waffle

Thirty-seven of a hundred cells are filled. The blank cells are the rest of the share.

One share, counted as a hundred units.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A share of a group shown as a hundred people or units, some filled

لا يُستخدم. Shares that do not count people or units

Lorenz curve

The curve bows away from equality. The bow is concentration, not a growing total.

Share of the people against share of the thing. The dashed line is perfect equality.

EQUALITY
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. How unequally something is shared, against a line of perfect equality

لا يُستخدم. A curve with no equality line to read it against

Flow

8 أشكال

Sankey

The left amount splits, then joins again on the right. The bands still add up to the same amount.

Width is the amount. The bands at each stage add back to the same total.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. An amount splitting and joining across stages, with width as the amount

لا يُستخدم. Widths that do not add up across a stage

Process

Four steps run in one direction. There is no branch to misread as a choice.

A sequence with no branch. Each arrow is what passes to the next step.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Steps in order, with what passes between them

لا يُستخدم. Branches. Use a flowchart

Flowchart

The diamond sends the path two ways. The two paths are alternatives, not a sequence.

One decision. The straight path is one branch. The lower path is the other.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A decision with branches, each branch labelled

لا يُستخدم. A branch that ends nowhere

Swimlane

The work changes lanes twice. A lane is an owner, not a stage.

Three owners, in rows. Each arrow is a handoff.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Steps owned by several people or teams, with each handoff shown

لا يُستخدم. One owner. Use a process

Sequence

The last message returns to the sender. Time runs down the page, not across it.

Three actors. Time runs down the page. Each arrow is a message.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Messages between actors, in time order down the page

لا يُستخدم. A step with no sender or receiver

States

Every path ends in the double ring. The double ring is an ending, not a second step.

One thing, four states. The double ring is the ending.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. One thing moving through states, with what moves it, including waits, retries and endings

لا يُستخدم. States the thing cannot actually be in

Loop

The last step points back at the first. The return is the point of the loop.

Four steps around a cycle. The arrow shows the return.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A cycle where the last step feeds the first, and something builds up each time round

لا يُستخدم. A list of steps that does not return. Use a process

Chord

The thickest ribbon joins two neighbours. Thickness is the flow, not closeness on the circle.

Flows both ways around a circle. Width is the amount.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Flows between a handful of groups in both directions, around a circle

لا يُستخدم. More groups than the circle can label

Structure

9 أشكال

Tree

Each child has one parent. A tree cannot show a part with two homes.

One root, two children, and four grandchildren.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Parent and children, one parent each

لا يُستخدم. A child with two parents. Use a dependency graph

Org chart

Two small roles sit under the right. Extra reports are not a second boss.

Who reports to whom. The small boxes are the extra reports.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Who owns, reports to or escalates to whom, for people, teams or agents

لا يُستخدم. Names the person has not cleared to show

Nested

The smallest box sits inside two others. Inside means contained, not merely nearby.

Three levels of containment. What sits inside what.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Hierarchy by containment: what sits inside what

لا يُستخدم. More than three levels deep

Layers

Each slab rests on the one below. The top fails if a lower slab does.

Four levels, stacked. The top one depends on the rest.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Levels stacked by abstraction, each resting on the one below

لا يُستخدم. Layers that do not depend on each other

Pyramid

The top band is the narrowest. Width is the count at that rank.

Four ranks, widest at the base.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A ranked hierarchy, widest at the base

لا يُستخدم. A ranking the piece does not argue

Venn

The three circles share one middle. That middle belongs to all three, not a fourth set.

Three sets. The filled middle is the overlap of all three.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Overlap between two or three sets, with the overlap named

لا يُستخدم. Four or more sets

Exploded view

The middle part pulls off the centre line. The gap shows the part, not a broken object.

Three parts of one object, in assembly order, along one line.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. The parts of one object pulled apart along one line, in assembly order

لا يُستخدم. Parts that do not assemble into the whole

Plan view

The floor splits into three rooms. The view is from above, not a picture of the walls.

One site, seen from above at an angle.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. One floor or site seen from above at an angle: rooms, zones, phases

لا يُستخدم. Places the piece does not describe

Network

The centre node joins four others. A link is a relationship, not a ranking.

Nine nodes. The links are the point. The centre is marked.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Who or what is connected to whom, when the links are the point

لا يُستخدم. Every link drawn when only a few matter

Position and cause

4 أشكال

Quadrant

Most of the points sit in the top half. One point is the outlier.

Two axes. High is marked on each. One point is the outlier.

HIGHHIGH
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Items placed on two axes, each axis named for what high and low mean

لا يُستخدم. Axes that are not independent

Value map

The chain runs from the top need downward. A lower box is not a smaller need.

Needs against how settled each part is. The user sits at the top.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A chain of needs set against how settled each part is, to show what to build, buy or leave

لا يُستخدم. A chain with no user at the top

Fishbone

Three kinds of cause point at one effect. The effect is the box, not the longest rib.

The box on the right is the effect. Each rib is a kind of cause.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. The causes of one observed effect, grouped by kind

لا يُستخدم. Causes the piece does not name

Dependency graph

Two parts feed the middle, and the middle feeds two more. A shared part is why this is not a tree.

Shared parts a tree cannot show. The arrow marks the critical step.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. What depends on what, with shared parts and cycles a tree cannot show

لا يُستخدم. Every link, when only the critical path matters

Strategy

For a piece about a choice or a market: the options, the forces at work and what each pays.

Decision tree

One chance splits into three outcomes. The split is chance, not three choices.

A choice, then a chance. Each branch ends in a value.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Choices and chances branching to outcomes, each with its value

لا يُستخدم. Probabilities or payoffs the piece does not state

Payoff matrix

The bottom right cell is the one that differs. Both results sit in the same cell.

Two players, two moves each. Each cell holds what both get.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. What each of two players gets for each pair of moves

لا يُستخدم. More than two players, or moves the piece does not name

Curves and optimum

The two curves cross once. The crossing is the best choice, not a tie.

The crossing is the best choice. The guides mark that point on both axes.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Two curves whose crossing or peak marks the best choice

لا يُستخدم. An optimum the piece does not argue

Game tree

A moves first, and B answers. The ends show what both get, not who spoke last.

Turns down the tree. Each end holds what both players get.

AB
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Moves made in turn by two players, each branch ending in what both get

لا يُستخدم. Moves or payoffs the piece does not name

Issue tree

The parts meet again only at the root. A branch is not a separate question.

One question, three branches, and the branches split once more.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A question broken into parts that do not overlap and together cover it

لا يُستخدم. Branches that overlap or leave a gap

Five forces

Four pressures point in at the centre. The centre is the rivalry, not the winner.

Rivals sit in the middle. Entrants, substitutes, buyers, and suppliers press in.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. The pressures on a market's profits: rivals, new entrants, substitutes, buyers and suppliers

لا يُستخدم. Forces drawn without saying which one bites

Value chain

The margin sits to the right of the steps. The margin is what remains, not another step.

Support above the line, five primary steps below it, and the margin at the end.

MARGIN
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. The steps a business takes to make and deliver what it sells, and where it earns its margin

لا يُستخدم. Steps the business does not own, drawn as its own

Strategy canvas

The two lines trade places halfway along. A lead on the left is not a lead overall.

Two offers, scored on the same five factors.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Competitors' offers scored on the same factors, one line each

لا يُستخدم. Factors or scores the reader cannot check

S-curve

The climb is steepest at the middle. The flat ends are not a stall.

The circle marks the steep middle. The dot sits inside it.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Adoption or performance that starts slow, climbs, then levels off

لا يُستخدم. A curve fitted to too few points

Three horizons

The third curve is the one still rising at the end. Today's curve is not the future one.

The circle marks the end of curve 3. The dot sits inside it.

123
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Today's business, the next one and the one after, set against time and value

لا يُستخدم. Horizons with no investment named in each

Portfolio matrix

The largest circle sits in the upper left. Size is revenue, not a better square.

Growth up the page, share to the right. Larger is more revenue.

SHAREGROWTH

Larger is more.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Business units on two axes such as market growth and share, sized by revenue

لا يُستخدم. Cut-off lines the piece does not state

Place

A map is used only when the place is the cause, as Social Assets sets out.

Choropleth

One region is darker than its neighbours. Darker is a rate, not a count of people.

A rate per area. Darker is higher. The map is not a count of people.

LowHigh
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A rate per area, shaded by region

لا يُستخدم. Raw totals, which only show where people live

Proportional symbol map

The circles differ in size more than in place. Size is the amount, not the location.

Amounts at places. Larger is more.

Larger is more.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Amounts at places, sized by value

لا يُستخدم. Symbols that overlap so much they hide each other

Flow map

One route is much thicker than the other two. Thickness is the movement, not the distance.

Movement between places. Width is the amount.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Movement between places, with width as the amount

لا يُستخدم. Every route drawn when a few carry the argument

Route map

The stops run in order from 1 to 6. The numbers are the sequence, not the importance.

One path. The numbers are the stops, in the order taken.

12345
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. The path taken, with its stops in order

لا يُستخدم. A route the piece does not describe

Tile map

Small regions take the same tile as large ones. Land area is not the value.

Every region is an equal square, so a small place still counts.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Every region as an equal tile, so small regions count

لا يُستخدم. Readers who need the real shapes to find a region

Cartogram

The blocks differ in size, not only in shade. Shade is a second reading.

Regions resized by a value. Area is that value. Shade is a second reading.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Regions resized by a value, such as population

لا يُستخدم. A value readers cannot recover from the distortion

Dot density

The dots cluster on the left. A cluster is a count, not an address.

One dot per so many. The cluster is the count, not a street address.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. How a count spreads across a place, one dot per so many

لا يُستخدم. Dots read as exact locations

Experience and work

4 أشكال

Journey

The feeling dips, recovers, then dips again. The line is feeling, not time spent.

Four stages along the top. The line is how it feels at each one.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. What a person does across the stages of an experience, and how it feels

لا يُستخدم. Feelings the piece does not report

Service blueprint

The dashed line splits seen from unseen. Below the line is still the service.

Three moments. Above the line is the customer. Below it is the work out of sight.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. What the customer sees against what the service does out of sight, with the line between them

لا يُستخدم. Steps nobody owns

Story map

The dashed line cuts the later slices off this release. Below the line is waiting, not cancelled.

A backbone of four steps, sliced into releases. Below the line waits.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A narrative backbone, sliced into releases, with the cut line drawn

لا يُستخدم. A backlog with no order

Board

The left column holds the most cards. A full column is a queue, not the goal.

Three states. Cards move right as the work moves.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Work in progress by state, with limits and blocked items

لا يُستخدم. A board that is not kept current

Systems

For people who write about technology. Each is a diagram, held to the same rules.

Architecture

One caller sits outside the dashed boundary. Outside means it is not part of the system.

A snapshot of the parts and how they connect. The dashes are the boundary.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Parts of a system and how they connect, in one snapshot, with boundaries of trust or ownership

لا يُستخدم. Every service, when three carry the argument

Before and after

The right-hand picture has a link the left one lacks. That link is the change.

The same layout, drawn twice. The extra link is what changed.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A change in structure, drawn twice on the same layout, with a list of what changed

لا يُستخدم. A change in settings only. Use a table

Current state

The middle column holds the most items. This picture is today, not the target.

Three phases, as they stand today. This is not the target.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. A landscape as it stands today, by phase or department

لا يُستخدم. Today's picture labelled as the target

Data flow

Each step has an owner under the arrow. The arrow is the data, not the person.

Four steps. The arrow is the data. The mark below is who handles it.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Who does what to the data at each step

لا يُستخدم. Steps without an owner

Integration map

Three sources feed one core, and two readers take from it. Readers do not take from the sources.

Sources on the left, the core in the middle, readers on the right.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Sources, a core and the people or systems that use it

لا يُستخدم. Every source, when the argument needs the shape

Tiers of data

Each tier is taller, and the last one is the claim. Taller is a higher standard, not more data.

Three levels of quality. The arrow is who may move up.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Storage in levels of quality, with who may reach each

لا يُستخدم. Levels the system does not enforce

Access matrix

One role is allowed in three columns. A dot is permission, not activity.

Rows are roles. Columns are parts. A dot is permission.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Which role may do what to which part

لا يُستخدم. Permissions nobody has checked

Deployment

Two zones hold the same pair of hosts. The line between them is the only link.

Where it runs. The line between the zones is the only link drawn.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Where software runs: zones, hosts, copies, ports

لا يُستخدم. Detail a reader of the piece will not use

Data model

Two things point at the one below. The lines are relations, not a flow of work.

Three things. The bar on each box is its name. The lines are the relations.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Things, their fields and how they relate

لا يُستخدم. Every field, when the relation is the point

Schema

The two tables share one key. The key joins them, not a shared row.

Physical tables. The header is the name. The rows are the fields. The line is the key.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Physical tables, types, keys and indexes

لا يُستخدم. A reader who is not building on it

Class diagram

Two classes inherit from the one above. The arrow points at the parent, not the child.

The hollow arrow points at the parent. The lower boxes are the children.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Classes, what they do, and how they inherit or contain

لا يُستخدم. A different kind of software diagram drawn in its notation

Do not use

The catalog already says not to reach for these.

Radar

The shape looks like a winner. The area is not a rank.

Five scores for one entity, on a shared scale. The shape is not an ordering.

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative. Drawn to show the form.

يُستخدم. Three to five scores on a common scale, for one to three entities

لا يُستخدم. Ranking. Use a bar

1. Pick the comparison

Versus baseline, peer, prior, or target.

Subject is pulling away from baseline

Index vs control · period 0 = 0 · 6 periods

-42814202630012345+29SubjectBaseline
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative product analytics (fictional)

Most categories moved up

Score 0–100 · before vs after · demo pair

BeforeAfterCategory ACategory BCategory CCategory DCategory E
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative experiment (fictional)

Referrals lead; Support NPS trails

Score 0–100 · you vs cohort median · Q2 2025

0255075100ReferralsTime-to-valueActivationRetentionExpansionSupport NPS
YouCohort median
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative product health benchmark (fictional)

You outperform your age group in most categories

Score by category — you vs. cohort average

Problem Solving
618
482
Memory
624
506
Language
601
603
YouAges 40–49
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Three metrics still short of target

Actual versus the gap to target. A longer bar is not a win: cost per signup is already over target.

Activation rate58 / 65
Weekly active72 / 75
NPS44 / 55
Cost per signup48 / 40
ActualGap to target
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative OKR dashboard (fictional)

The gap varies sharply by category

Two values compared, sorted by size of gap

020406080100Category A72Category B48Category C26Category D10Category E18Category F42
FromTo (increase)To (decrease)
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Leave rises with age

% within age band · Leave vs Remain · Jul 2025 poll

LeaveRemain
38
18–24
62
45
25–34
55
52
35–44
48
58
45–54
42
64
55–64
36
70
65+
30
LeaveRemain
Gagan MalikSource: Fictional omnibus survey, n=1,800

Wednesday saw the sharpest spike in blocked threats

Last 7 days

Daily average:346 blocked threats
5500avgMTWTFSS
Ads and TrackersMalicious websites
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

2. Show the exception

Mark the series or period that breaks the pack.

Subject breaks from the pack

Metric by cohort, over time

-238131822048121619Subject
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

The 2020 turn reshaped the trajectory

Brand health vs price sensitivity · index · 2018–2024

Price sensitivity →Brand health →20182024Turn (2020)
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative brand tracker (fictional)

Which categories moved, and where

Arrow points from before → after, on two measures at once

02550751000255075100Measure XMeasure YRetentionEngagementConversionSatisfactionReferrals
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Most points track the line — one doesn't

A vs B, with the flagged outlier called out

1000050100
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Subject climbs from 4th to 1st

Rank over time — 1 is top

432120222023202420252026Subject
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

The books close at £46, up from £40

Pounds. Start and end are levels. The other columns are signed changes.

0204060£40Start+£22Added−£14Costs+£8Refund−£10Loss£46End
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative

A £4.10 flat white leaves the café 18p

Staff, rent and VAT take almost all of it. Profit is what the café keeps on the cup.

£4.10
−68p
−36p
−55p
£2.51
−£1.60
91p
−60p
−13p
18p
Price paidVATBeansCupsCM1StaffCM2Running costsOtherProfit
Each stepMarginProfit
Gagan MalikSource: Grind, via The Guardian, 13 July 2026

One category is pulling ahead of the rest

Index over time

HL051015HybridElectricPetrolDiesel
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Where cardio fitness stands today

Above Average

37.6 VO₂ max
Jul 2025
High
Above Average
Below Average
Low
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

3. Show the fog

Bands, fans, and distributions — not just the point.

Estimate widens as horizon extends

Modelled estimate · 95% CI · t = −2…11

-41025395468048
Central estimate95% interval
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative statistical model (fictional)

Uncertainty widens after the last observed month

MAU (thousands) · UK + IE fintech · Aug 2025 forecast

406080M0M4M8M12Forecast →
ObservedScenario band
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative MAU projection (fictional)

Your cardio fitness trended above average

Aug 2024 – Aug 2025. Score. The axis starts at 20.

3443526020ASONDJFMAMJJ
LowBelow AverageAbove AverageHigh
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

A's range is pulling away from B's

Min–max per period, by group

1500123456789
Group AGroup B
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Two groups still meet the line. That is not a settled lead.

Multiple of the baseline, log scale. The bar is the 95% interval.

0.2×0.5×1×2×5×10×NorthCoastEastMidlandsWestSouthIslands
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative

Spread varies more than the average suggests

Distribution by group

900701040Group A852050Group B45522Group C
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Where the distribution actually clusters

Each dot is one observation

024680246801631476278
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Self-serve clusters fastest; Free tier spreads wide

Days-to-first-value density · H1 2025 cohort · by segment

EnterpriseMid-marketSMBSelf-serveFree tierFastMedianSlow
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative onboarding timing (fictional)

Comparing several items across dimensions at once

One line per item, one axis per dimension

1000speedcostreachsupportItem AItem BItem C
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

4. Prefer multiples

Shared-scale panels beat spaghetti.

Coast breaks away

Sales index · Jan 2025 = 100 · six UK regions · Jun 2025

North3664SouthEastWest3664JanFebMarAprMayJunCentralJanFebMarAprMayJunCoastJanFebMarAprMayJun
Typical regionException — Coast
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative regional sales index (fictional)

Metrics at a glance

Inline sparklines

Sessions
Active users, 7-day
12.4k
+1.2k
Conversion
Checkout completion
3.2%
+0.4%
Latency
p95 response time
180ms
-42ms
Bounce
Landing exits
41%
-2.1%
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Growth differs by category

Index over time

Category A
320JFMAMJJASOND
Category B
240JFMAMJJASOND
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Volume clusters midweek

Support tickets per day · EU timezone · Jul–Aug 2025

MTWTFSS241166542411665424116654242066542411665424116654
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative helpdesk export (fictional)

Activity peaks midweek

Intensity by row and month

JanFebMarAprMayJunRow ARow BRow CRow D
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

5. People, not area

Waffles and rates — not raw choropleths.

Only 37 of 100 completed signup

People per 100 · UK bank app adopters · Mar 2025

Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative adoption survey (fictional), n=2,400

Ranking flips when you rate per capita

Event share vs per 100 people · five UK regions · 2024

North28%East22%South18%West14%Central18%
#1 North#5 West
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative public-health events (fictional)

Bottom 40% earn ~14% of income

Cumulative income share · household deciles · FY2024

0%25%50%75%100%0%25%50%75%100%Cumulative population shareCumulative income shareGini = 0.4
Gagan MalikSource: Illustrative inequality snapshot (fictional)

Exposure is concentrated in a few regions

Share of total exposure · schematic regions · demo

North90%East30%South55%West15%Central70%
LowHigh
Gagan MalikSource: Teaching toy (not Natural Earth)

6. What not to trust

Forms that usually fail the job.

Chart forms that lie

Pick a better form when you see these

  • Radar charts for ranking
  • Donut charts with 8+ categories
  • Raw choropleth for people counts
  • Spaghetti lines without small multiples
Gagan MalikSource: Data Visualisation lab — judgment notes

Your brain in a nutshell

How you're performing in each category, 0–100

Language510Memory800ProblemSolving600Coordination750Emotion880MentalAgility920Focus700
ScoreBaseline
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

One segment leads, the rest trail off

Share of total, %

42%28%18%12%
Segment A (42%)Segment B (28%)Segment C (18%)Segment D (12%)

*Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

7. Rates and shares

When the mix is the story.

Power first, value later.

Motors reached factories in 1883. The gains waited for the redesign.

Applications
Where Huang places the value
Models
Language, biology, physics
Infrastructure
AI factories: land, power, cooling
Chips
Turn energy into computation
Energy
Where intelligence starts
Gagan MalikSource: Huang, NVIDIA Blog (2026); Devine (1983)

Five floors, not four.

Most later drawings show four. The missing floor answers why.

Wisdom
Judgement
Understanding
Why
Knowledge
How
Information
Who, what, where, when, how many
Data
Symbols
Gagan MalikSource: Ackoff (1989), via Bernstein (2009) and Frické (ISKO)

Opinion shifted sharply after the event

% responding, by period

Before
55%25%20%
After
78%12%10%
SupportUnsureOppose
Gagan MalikSource: Demo polling

Where prospects drop off

Count at each stage

Visited
5,000
Signed up
3,200
Activated
1,800
Paid
700
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Where time in the app actually goes

Most used

Entertainment
23m
Productivity & Finance
15m
Social
11m
Creativity
7m
Other
48s
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

A few products make up most of the total

Rectangle size = share of total

Product AProduct BProduct CProduct D
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

How the whole breaks down, two levels deep

Inner ring = category, outer ring = sub-item

40%35%25%
Category A (40%)Category B (35%)Category C (25%)
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Most of the variable segment sits in one group

Value-sized quadrants — box area is proportional to value

21284414Fixed segmentVariable segmentGroup 1Group 2
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Where the flow leaks

Stage-to-stage volume

60404515387VisitorsSigned upActivatedRetainedChurned
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Uptake is accelerating, and deepening

Share reporting each frequency, %

100020152018202120242026
DailyMonthlyYearly
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Composition ebbs and flows over time

Stacked with a wiggle baseline, not a flat one

10-1005101519
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Net change has swung both ways

Gains above the line, losses below

16-1606121825GainsLosses
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

8. Maps

When place is causal.

Opportunity is concentrated in a handful of major markets

Composite index by country, 0–100

0100
Loading map…
IndiaChinaUnited StatesJapanGermanyUnited KingdomFranceAustraliaBrazilCanadaRussiaSouth Africa
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

India composite index

Index 0–100, trailing 5 periods

0100
Loading map…
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

India, state by state

All states and union territories

Loading map…
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Where it's concentrated

Value by location. Cyan is the claim. Larger is more.

06312518825003875113150

Larger is more.

Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

The route it took to get here

Path over time, by stop

0501001502000306090120
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Share of population in high or extreme poverty

By state, % of population

0100
Loading map…
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Appendix

Strategy diagrams.

Expected value guides decisions under uncertainty

Decision tree with chance nodes — outcomes weighted by probability

DecisionInvestDon't investEV: 48EV: 12EV: 60EV: 060% × 8040% × 30100% × 60100% × 0

*EV = (payoff × probability) + (payoff × probability). Choose the branch with the higher expected value.

Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

The threat to fight only deters entry if it’s credible

Sequential game tree — the entrant moves first, the incumbent responds

EnterStay outFightAccommodateEntrantIncumbent-2,-22,20,5
Entrant payoffIncumbent payoff

*Payoffs shown as (Entrant, Incumbent). Backward induction: the incumbent accommodates rather than fights (2 > –2), so entry is rational and the incumbent’s threat is not credible.

Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Neither player benefits from defecting alone

Payoff matrix — (Player A, Player B), classic Prisoner's Dilemma

3,30,55,01,1CooperateDefectPlayer BCooperateDefect
Player A
Player A payoffPlayer B payoff
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Multiple equilibria — no single dominant strategy

Stag Hunt: high payoff if both cooperate, but risk of mutual loss

4, 4(Risk dominant)3, 00, 33, 3(Payoff dominant)Hunt StagHunt HareHunt StagHunt Hare
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Firms set quantities based on each other's output

Best-response curves — Firm B's optimal quantity given Firm A's choice

10000255075100Nash equilibriumFirm A outputFirm B outputFirm AFirm B

The Nash equilibrium occurs where both firms' best-response curves intersect. Each firm is maximising profit given the other's choice.

Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Optimal bid trades off winning against profit margin

Bidder payoff by bid level (sealed-bid first-price auction)

30-20020406080100Optimal bidValuation = 80

The optimal bid balances the probability of winning (higher bid = higher P(win)) against payoff if winning (bid = lower profit margin).

Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

Cooperation breaks down under repeated play

Prisoner's Dilemma — share of rounds both players cooperated

1000110254050Cooperation rate

Both players start cooperating, but incentives to defect build. Once defection begins, cooperation rarely returns.

Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

How the pieces connect

Node size = importance, line = relationship

CoreABCDE
Gagan MalikSource: Demo data

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