Reference page for Trifecta Checkup

It's here! Many readers have requested a reference to the Junk Charts Trifecta Checkup. I finally found time to write this up. Here is the introduction:

The Junk Charts Trifecta Checkup is a general framework for data visualization criticism. It captures how I like to organize the thinking behind my critique pieces.

The need for such a framework is clear. Opinion pieces on specific data graphics frequently come across as stream of conscience. Proclaiming a chart "mind-blowing" or "worst of the century" isn't worth much if the author cannot articulate why. The state of dataviz criticism has not progressed further than assembling a set of "rules of thumb".

In putting this framework together, I aimed to make it simple to use and broadly applicable.

The Trifecta Checkup framework allows me to classify all dataviz critiques into eight types. A visualization of the eight types is as follows.

Please click here to read the entire post. Also, link to that permanent page for reference.

As usual, clicking on the "Trifecta Checkup" tag brings up all prior posts that apply the concept.

 

Comments

[MJS]

Hi Kaiser;
This is very helpful and I have already shared with work colleagues. I'd like to note though, that your convention of blocked out nodes being well done confused me for a minute. Since the node indicator Q, D or V was missing I assumed that meant NOT done well. Just my $0.02 CDN.
Michael

[derek]

Have you ever considered making the visual for your trifecta checkup the classic three-circle Venn diagram?

[Bob]

It would be good to include on the chart *either* a brief legend explaining what the nodes represent *or* a short form url to an article on the trifecta checkup. As it is, if I don't know what D, Q and V are, I have no way of finding out.

[Kaiser]

Bob/MJD: Thanks for the suggestions. Will make version 2 soon.

Derek: Not a fan of Venn diagrams but I could see how it applies here.

[K]

Kind of a junk chart itself without a legend, don't you think?

[junkcharts]

Thanks for several readers for their feedback. I just posted a new version of the taxonomy diagram.