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Quick answers
When should I pick Vega-Lite grammar?
When the story is: reproducible analysis figures, teaching encodings, notebooks.
When should I avoid Vega-Lite grammar?
Skip it in cases like: you only need one disposable bar for a meeting invite.
Who invented or popularised it?
Vega-Lite from the University of Washington Interactive Data Lab
What does it encode?
unit specifications of mark + encoding channels
Is it OK in ads?
Yes if one claim is visible at a glance in Meta, Google and retail print; otherwise link to a full figure.
Will a teacher accept it?
Yes for lab reports and poster boards if axes, units and a source line are present.
Vega-Lite grammar encodes values as unit specifications of mark + encoding channels. Vega-Lite from the University of Washington Interactive Data Lab.
In reports, ads and assignments it fits reproducible analysis figures, teaching encodings, notebooks. Skip it when you only need one disposable bar for a meeting invite.
Mistakes
- Failure modes 1 — you only need one disposable bar for a meeting invite
- Failure modes 2 — 3-D pies and perspective bars
- Failure modes 3 — Dual axes that fake a correlation
- Failure modes 4 — Truncated axes that shout a small delta
- Failure modes 5 — Legend only, no direct labels
- Failure modes 6 — Missing source, unit or period
Fixes
- Fixes 1 — Return to reproducible analysis figures, teaching encodings, notebooks.
- Fixes 2 — Flat, one axis, direct labels.
- Fixes 3 — Color-blind-safe palette plus pattern.
- Fixes 4 — Rewrite the title as a claim and add a source line.
Vega-Lite grammar: honour unit specifications of mark + encoding channels, and switch when you only need one disposable bar for a meeting invite.