Objective:

Reduce turnaround times for creating charts and maps, and ensure visualisations better meet user needs by following this guide.

The Data Visualisation (data vis) team will be able to provide simple, custom or complex support based upon your needs.
More resource-intensive solutions may be justified on occasion. We will continue to support these where there is a convincing business case. This is defined by a combination of factors, and you should now follow our step-by-step process before requesting any visualisations.

Steps:

1. Consider the number of charts in your publication. While it may be tempting to attempt to visualise every angle that the analysis is covering, too many charts can lead to reader fatigue and our research shows that readers won’t reach the bottom of the page. We recommend no more than 1 chart per 500 words.
   Go to step 2
2. Could the data be visualised using the standard chart-builder charts?
     YES: Prepare the data tables in a suitable format for your publishing officer to create the chart.
   NO: Go to step 3
3. Can charts be made from Data Vis Templates with only minor modification?
     YES: Click "view full chart" next to the chart of your choice, this will give you a full sized view as if it were on a computer monitor.
   Take a screenshot, insert it into the draft of your publication, then request data vis support from digitalcontent@ons.gov.uk.
   NO: Go to step 4
4. Have you seen examples of charts on our website that you would like to replicate?
     YES: Send the publication link and the figure number with your request for data vis support to digitalcontent@ons.gov.uk.
   NO: Go to step 5
5. If none of these options meet your needs, you may need a more bespoke solution. In this case, request data vis support from digitalcontent@ons.gov.uk and include the following information:
   1. The ONS priority tier that the publication meets
   2. A clear and demonstrable user need
   3. The expected reach of the publication, for example the interest it may generate in third party media
   4. The relevance of the publication to a non-expert audience.
   
   We will assess your request based on our capacity and alignment with the strategic direction of ONS digital content.
   Please note that requests for data vis support are triaged weekly on a Monday.
   As this guide is new, we would welcome your feedback. Please send any thoughts on improvements to digitalcontent@ons.gov.uk

Chartbuilder charts

These are charts that are made by Publishing Officers using a tool called Chartbuilder. Here are examples of charts that Chartbuilder can do reasonably well. Click to open the example at full size in a new tab.

Data vis templates

These are for charts that are made by Data Visualsiation Specialists by editing code in JavaScript. The templates are continuously tested, improved and added to.

The charts are reactive, meaning that they will resize and reshape to best fit the screen they are viewed on.

If you think a chart will suit your needs, click "view full chart", this will give you a full sized view, as if it were on a computer monitor. Take a screenshot, insert it into the draft of your publication, then request data vis support from digitalcontent@ons.gov.uk.