Innovative Tableau

Chapter 12. The Data-Ink Ratio and How to Apply It in Tableau

In his 1983 book, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (Graphics Press), Edward Tufte introduced the concept of the data-ink ratio in data visualization. In case you are not familiar with this classic book and concept, the data-ink ratio is the portion of ink (i.e., pixels) that makes up data-information on the view.

Sometimes, to innovate, you must look back, and I’ve come to realize this single, decades-old concept is the core of almost all my design tips. Because the data-ink ratio is a common thread between most of the charts I create with Tableau, let’s begin this section by explaining the concept, addressing its two fundamental flaws, and showing you how to apply its principles within Tableau.

Ideas for Improving the Data-Ink Ratio of Tableau Visualizations

There are several ways to improve the data-ink ratio in Tableau by changing the default format settings the software provides. To illustrate, let’s improve the data-ink ratio in the following Orders by Category bar chart built with the Sample – Superstore dataset. Along the way, I point out two fundamental flaws with Tufte’s vision for the concept.

Step 1: Erase Non-Data Ink

First, we will remove non-data ink such as graphics. In the same book Tufte introduced the data-ink ratio, he also coined the term chartjunk for non-data graphics ...