Principles

Every bit of ink on a graphic should present new information. Remove all non-data-ink and redundant data-ink.

The data-ink ratio is the proportion of a graphic's ink devoted to displaying data. Maximize this ratio, within reason. Eliminate chartjunk—visual elements that don't represent data and can obscure what the data actually shows.

This doesn't mean minimal design. It means purposeful design where every element serves the data, not decoration.

The representation of numbers should be directly proportional to the numerical quantities they represent. Use clear, detailed, thorough labeling to avoid graphical distortion and ambiguity.

Graphics should reveal data at several levels of detail, from broad overview to fine structure. Don't let design choices obscure the actual variation in the data.

Avoid gratuitous decoration that adds visual noise without adding information.

Mobilize every graphical element to show the data. Remove elements that don't carry information: unnecessary grid lines, excessive labels, decorative shading, 3D effects that distort perception.

Redundant data-ink includes repeating the same information multiple times without adding clarity. If an element can be removed without loss of information, remove it.

The goal is not minimalism for its own sake, but clarity through intentional removal of visual noise.

Excellence in statistical graphics requires both technical skill and aesthetic judgment. The first draft is rarely the best representation.

Test different approaches. Remove elements. Add context where needed. Refine until the graphic clearly and efficiently reveals what the data has to say.

Good design is iterative. Each revision should increase the data-ink ratio and clarify the message.

Words, numbers, and pictures should work together, not separately. Labels should appear near the data they describe, not in distant legends that require eye movement and memory.

Use small multiples—sequences of charts using the same scale and design—to enable comparison across dimensions. This integration of multiple views reveals patterns that single charts cannot.

The goal is coherent presentation where all elements support understanding.

Excellent graphics allow readers to see both the big picture and fine detail. High data density—showing large amounts of data in small space—enables this multi-level reading.

Don't dumb down. Assume readers are intelligent and interested. Provide rich, detailed graphics that reward close examination while remaining comprehensible at a glance.

Sparklines—intense, simple, word-sized graphics—exemplify this principle: they provide context without taking space from the data they illustrate.

By stripping away unnecessary ornamentation and focusing on essential elements, architecture achieves elegant simplicity that is both beautiful and functional. Minimalism is not about deprivation—it's about clarity, restraint, and the power of what remains.

Materials should be used honestly, expressing their inherent properties rather than disguising them. Steel, glass, and concrete are not limitations—they are the vocabulary of modern architecture. Let materials speak for themselves.

Create flexible, open floor plans that can adapt to multiple uses rather than rigid, predetermined rooms. Architecture should provide a framework for life, not dictate it. The free-flowing plan liberates inhabitants to define their own spatial relationships.

The structure of a building should be visible and legible, not hidden behind false facades. When you can see how a building stands, you understand what it is. Structure is not something to conceal—it's the essence of architecture.

Precision in execution separates good architecture from great architecture. Every joint, every material transition, every proportion must be considered with absolute care. Nothing is too small to matter. Excellence lives in the details.

Architecture is the will of an epoch translated into space. Buildings should express the spirit and technological possibilities of their time, not mimic historical styles. Modernism isn't a style—it's an honest response to the present.

Dissolve the barriers between interior and exterior, between one space and another. Glass walls, flowing plans, and elevated platforms blur traditional boundaries, creating seamless transitions that connect architecture to landscape and life.

Function and form are not separate concerns—they are one. A building's purpose and its beauty are inseparable. When structure, materials, and spatial arrangement align with use, architecture achieves its highest expression.