Chart Junk

Definition(s)

• "The interior decoration of graphics generates a lot of ink which does not tell the viewer anything new. The purpose of the decoration varies - to make the graphic appear more scientific, to enliven the display, to give the designer an opportunity to exercise artistic skill. Regardless of the cause, it is all non-data-ink or redundant data-ink, and it is often chartjunk." [Tufte, 1997]

Examples

Microsoft Excel "Diagramm-Assistent"

Bibliography

[Tufte, 1997] Edward R. Tufte, Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative, Graphics Press, Cheshire, 1997.

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