4 ms·
Graph nanny says "Label your axes, damnit!"
by revorad 15y ago
Graph nanny says "Label your axes, damnit!"
- zeratul 15y agoI know, I know. It's amazing how many times I broke this rule. I do better in future. Somehow I think there should be a different design rules for labeling "persistent" (?) graphs, i.e. graphs that you look at regularly. If you look at a graph couple times a day you need to know the meaning of axes only one time. After that, the labels are waste of the real estate. I will look at the vital signs equipment to see how it's done.
- revorad 15y agoThe point of labelling graphs, much like commenting code, is communication with others and your future self.
- zeratul 15y agoThis is invaluable comment. Changes my whole perspective on how to represent the data. If I could I would use all my karma here. Thank you EDIT: My mentor always says "graph or table has to stand on it's own" but that does not resonate with me. The "commenting code" analogy does.
- nandemo 15y agoI still don't know what does the vertical axis represent. Normalized points? At what time?