I speak three languages.
And strangely enough, that taught me how data visualization should be learned.
My first foreign language was English. I learned it the traditional way: grammar books, exercises, gap-filling, memorizing rules, and lots of correction. It worked, eventually. But it was slow, effortful, and honestly quite boring.
My second foreign language was Czech. I learned it in a completely different way: by living in the language. I listened, observed, guessed, tried, made mistakes, adjusted, and kept speaking. It felt more natural. It was faster. And the result was better.
Over time, I realized that business chart making works the same way.
Many people try to learn charts the way I learned English: by memorizing chart choosers, studying complex decision trees, and searching for the “correct” chart type for every situation.
Of course, that can help a little.
But in my experience, it is not the best way to become fluent.
Because charts are not just technical objects.
They are a language. That is why we call it data communication.
You learn the language not by memorizing all the rules.
You learn it by speaking.
Data visualization as a language
When children learn to speak, they do not start with perfect grammar. They start with trial and error. They imitate. They simplify. They say funny things. They make “wrong” sentences that are actually signs of progress.
The same is true for charts.
You do not become a confident chart maker by waiting until you know every rule. You become one by building charts again and again. By experimenting. By noticing patterns. By comparing what works and what does not. By making small, and sometimes big mistakes. By solving real business communication problems one after another.
Eventually, you stop asking:
“Which chart does the rulebook say I should use?”
And you start asking:
“What am I trying to say?”
“What should my audience notice first?”
“What makes this clearer?”
That is the shift from knowing about charts to being able to use them.
Why I created Chart Anatomy
That is exactly why I started this newsletter.
There is no shortage of chart rules online.
Use bars for comparison.
Use lines for trends.
Avoid pie charts.
Start the axis at zero.
Remove clutter.
Some of this advice is useful. Some of it is oversimplified. And most of it is not enough.
Because what business professionals really need is not another giant chart chooser scheme.
They need practice:
- in seeing.
- in choosing.
- in simplifying.
Practice in shaping a chart so it says one thing clearly.
That is what Chart Anatomy will be about.
Not chart theory in the abstract.
Not overwhelming frameworks.
Not endless lists of dos and don’ts.
Instead, bite-sized lessons for clearer, more persuasive business charts: one element at a time. Practical examples only.
My advice if you want to get better at business charts
Treat chart making like language learning.
Do not wait until you feel ready.
Start speaking.
- Build charts often.
- Try different versions.
- Iterate.
- Notice what feels clear and what feels confusing.
- Learn from good examples.
- Get peer feedback.
And allow yourself to be imperfect.
An imperfect chart you iterate and improve is more valuable than a perfect chart you never make.
What to expect next
In each issue of Chart Anatomy, I will take business charts apart piece by piece.
One issue, one practical lesson.
My goal is to help you build charts that don’t make people work so hard.
Charts that tell them where to look and what to see.
If you’d like to subscribe to the newsletter, you can find it on LinkedIn under the name Data Anatomy.
