Data-Ink and The Dangers of Chart Junk in Information Design

In short, Data-Ink is the amount of ink (or pixels) devoted to actually communicating information. Any graphics, decorations or text that don’t explicitly communicate one’s story are considered extraneous and unhelpful. So, expressed as a ratio of Data-Ink to total ink, one would want a number as close to “1” as possible. A low Data-Ink ratio of .1 would mean that for every one pixel that communicates your message, nine pixels are wasting space and your audience’s attention.

 

Here’s a simple visual explanation of all that previous ink I just used:

 

The one on the right communicates the same information and does it with less distraction once the gridlines, background and redundant labeling are removed. Here is the leftover “fat,” also termed “Chart Junk” by Tufte, that has been trimmed away:

Here are two infographics that I feel are simply overdesigned and filled with chart junk. Yes, they’re clever, but does the design aid or hinder a quick reading of the information?

 

(credit: LoansandCredit.com)

 

 

(Credit: Mint.com)

 

Here’s another infographic that has a very simple message, but one that takes longer to process because of the added graphic design. What’s the Data-Ink ratio here?