Give each chart element a clear role in explaining values, comparisons, and context.
A chart combines data marks with the context needed to interpret them. Use the anatomy to decide what readers need, then remove decoration that competes with that information. These terms describe general chart structure, not exported Liquidify components.
| Part | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Marks | Encode observations through position, length, or another visual property. |
| Plot area | Holds the marks within the chart's coordinate space. |
| Scale | Maps a data value to a position or other visual property. |
| Axes and ticks | Establish a reference for reading values and intervals. |
| Grid lines | Help compare marks with reference values across the plot. |
| Title and description | Explain the question, measure, period, and relevant context. |
| Labels and annotations | Identify values or explain a specific observation. |
| Legend | Explains an encoding such as series color or marker shape. |
Figure in preparation
Read the parts of a chart
Connect chart vocabulary to the role each part plays in interpreting values.
Let the title establish the subject before asking people to interpret the marks. Put units and the reporting period where they remain visible. A source or update note belongs close enough to the chart that readers can assess whether its data fits their task.
For a chart of daily requests, a title such as “Requests received this week” identifies the measure and period. The axis then supplies the weekday and count. An annotation can explain an exceptional day without becoming a second title or repeating every value.
Marks should remain distinguishable from the plot background and grid. Grid lines can support estimation, but excessive visual weight makes them compete with the data. Choose their density together with the label density and available space.
Not every chart needs every part. Directly labeled series may not need a separate legend. A small preview can omit detail that its expanded view provides, as long as the preview still communicates its purpose and how to reach that detail. Consult Legends before removing a key to an encoding.
Explain the chart's purpose and provide the values or grouped descriptions that support it. Keep the same units and series names in visual labels and accessible descriptions. A useful description identifies what a value means, not just the shape or color of its mark.
Apple's advice about hiding redundant axis labels assumes a corresponding accessible chart representation. On the web, retain access to the axis meaning and range until equivalent context exists in the chosen implementation. Do not copy native accessibility behavior as a blanket rule for HTML or SVG.
The installed Liquidify library has no plot, scale, axis, or legend primitives. Its Text component and color tokens can support surrounding presentation, but do not establish chart semantics or data mapping. The diagram is a conceptual explanation, not a component capture.