27:I[56264,["/_next/static/chunks/3fntmmi971322.js","/_next/static/chunks/1ymt1shyhmu-4.js","/_next/static/chunks/291ciwmgtp_xc.js","/_next/static/chunks/2owa30hnifmhr.js","/_next/static/chunks/2tie5rqwdsi89.js","/_next/static/chunks/2dnipz2c0692b.js","/_next/static/chunks/1mf5iq195c2sn.js","/_next/static/chunks/03wn0-bzh3abk.js","/_next/static/chunks/0_02m0ghanddv.js"],"GuestHistoryRecorder"] 28:I[3004,["/_next/static/chunks/3fntmmi971322.js","/_next/static/chunks/1ymt1shyhmu-4.js","/_next/static/chunks/291ciwmgtp_xc.js","/_next/static/chunks/2owa30hnifmhr.js","/_next/static/chunks/2tie5rqwdsi89.js","/_next/static/chunks/2dnipz2c0692b.js","/_next/static/chunks/1mf5iq195c2sn.js","/_next/static/chunks/03wn0-bzh3abk.js","/_next/static/chunks/0_02m0ghanddv.js"],"EmailPreview"] 2b:I[27201,["/_next/static/chunks/3fntmmi971322.js","/_next/static/chunks/1ymt1shyhmu-4.js","/_next/static/chunks/291ciwmgtp_xc.js","/_next/static/chunks/2owa30hnifmhr.js"],"IconMark"] 29:Te66e, Smashing Newsletter

Data visualization, choosing charts, open visualization academy, Visa product design system and searching for birds. Issue #575 • Sep 8, 2026 • View in the browser

Hola Smashing Friends,

Data visualization always has quite a bit of mystery and ambiguity around it. How do you choose the right chart, actually? And then how do you design charts to make sure that they convey proper meaning and understanding, rather than obscuring, confusing, or skewing the data?

In this newsletter, we look at some little helpers to learn and get better at data visualization — from a whole set of free lessons on visualization to a design system focused on data viz to data and analytics songbooks and... birds!

Day 1 of SmashingConf Freiburg taking place today! (Image credits: Marc Thiele)

Today, the Smashing team is in Freiburg, Germany, for the annual SmashingConf Freiburg 🇩🇪 (running strong since 2012!). We also have front-end & UX workshops taking place online in the very same smashing spirit:

Live UX Training UX
with Vitaly Friedman. Sep 11 – Oct 12
Figma MCP Masterclass Design
with Christine Vallaure. Sep 14
Accessibility For Designers UX
with Stéphanie Walter. Sep 21–29
Live Accessibility Testing Free
with Manuel Matuzović. Sep 24
Resilient And Maintainable CSS Dev
with Miriam Suzanne. Oct 1–15
Designing Websites That Convert UX
with Paul Boag. Oct 7
Accessible Frontend Patterns Dev
with Manuel Matuzović. Oct 12 – Nov 2
How To Measure UX and Design Impact UX
with Vitaly Friedman. Oct 20 – Nov 3
Jump to all online workshops →

We had such an amazing time at SmashingConf Amsterdam 2026 that we can’t wait to do it all over again. We’re thrilled to announce that SmashingConf is returning to Amsterdam in 2027! Dates, speakers, workshops, and tickets are coming soon.

SmashingConf Amsterdam is coming back in 2027 — sign up here and be the first to know — including access to early-bird ticket prices before they go on sale to everyone else.

Now, without further ado, let’s dive into all things data visualization!

— Vitaly

1. Open Visualization Academy

Whether you’re new to information design and data visualization or looking to enhance your skills, the Open Visualization Academy has got your back. Created by Alberto Cairo, the platform currently features 15 video courses taught by top experts. They cover everything from the fundamentals of visualizing data to accessibility, storytelling, cartography, generative AI, and more. A treasure chest of knowledge.

2. Searching For Birds

Do you have a soft spot for birds? Nadieh Bremer created a wonderful project that not only captures the hearts of bird lovers but also leaves everyone interested in data visualization, illustration, or storytelling awe-inspired. “Searching for Birds” is an interactive, dataviz-driven story that connects humans with birds by exploring how we search for them.

From our sponsor

Your Website Shouldn’t Freeze The Day It Launches

Launch is where most sites stop improving. Fimo keeps yours going: autonomous agents run on top of the code you own, fixing accessibility, syncing the design system, refreshing content, each change a clean commit you can review or let ship on its own. Try Fimo →

3. Data & Analytics Songbooks

A fantastic overview of data visualization guidelines and best practices is the Data & Analytics Songbooks Miro board. The board summarizes the wonderful work that Lisa Charlotte Muth, Aurélien Vautier, and Piotr Czarnas share on all things data visualization — from color choice and color scale to color blindness, text and data requirements.

4. How To Choose The Right Chart

We all know how tricky it can be to choose a chart type for a given situation. Uber’s Base Design System breaks the decision down into a standardized approach based on the concepts users are trying to understand, the number of variables, and the fact if seeing the data change is important. Once you’re clear about these three key factors, making decisions on how to visualize the data becomes more straightforward.

If you want to dive deeper into finding the best chart type to get your message across, Vitaly compiled some useful resources, as well as design systems and Figma kits for data visualization.

From our sponsor

Rethinking Web Animation: Tactile UX Without Physics

Tired of bloated physics engines slowing down your site? Learn how to craft highly responsive, tactile user experiences using lightweight Lottie files. Explore practical techniques to make your digital interfaces feel more physical, intuitive, and instantly engaging. Read more →

5. Visa Product Design System

To make it easier for product teams to craft insightful, inclusive, and accessible data experiences, the Visa Product Design System dedicates an entire section to the topic. It includes principles and techniques for visualizing and communicating insights, helpful tips for choosing the most effective chart, as well as usage, code, and accessibility guidance for data visualization components.

6. Accessible UX Research, Now Shipping 📚

We’ve got exciting news! Our newest Smashing book, Accessible UX Research by Michele A. Williams, is finally shipping worldwide! Get the book right away or order the eBook for instant download.

Meet our brand-new book: “Accessible UX Research” by Michele A. Williams. Printed copies shipping now.

Accessible UX Research is your practical guide to making UX research more inclusive of participants with different needs — from planning and recruiting to facilitation, asking better questions, avoiding bias, and building trust. Download a free sample (PDF, 2.3MB) or get the book right away.

7. Person Of The Week: Tom Greenwood

Please give a warm round of applause for our Person of the Week: Tom Greenwood. Tom is co-founder of the London-based WordPress agency Wholegrain Digital and an early green web pioneer. He created the first website carbon calculator, co-authored the Sustainable Web Manifesto, and wrote the influential book Sustainable Web Design.

Tom has spoken internationally at events, and he regularly writes about design, business, and sustainability, exploring ideas that stretch thinking on how we can move toward a better world for everyone.

Thank you for everything you do for the community, dear Tom! 🧡

That’s All, Folks!

Thank you so much for reading and for your support in helping us keep the web dev and design community strong with our newsletter. See you next time!

This newsletter issue was written and edited by Cosima Mielke, Vitaly Friedman, and Iris Lješnjanin.

Sent to truly smashing readers via Mailchimp.
We sincerely appreciate your kind support. You rock.

Follow us on Mastadon • Join us on Bluesky

Weekly issues with useful tips for web devs. Email: newsletter@smashingmagazine.com.
unsubscribe • update preferences • view in your browser

2a:T31a8,Data visualization, choosing charts, open visualization academy, Visa product design system and searching for birds. Issue #575 • Sep 8, 2026 • View in the browser (https://mailchi.mp/smashingmagazine/575-data-visualization?e=45c4871904) https://www.smashingmagazine.com/the-smashing-newsletter/ ** Hola Smashing Friends, ------------------------------------------------------------ Data visualization always has quite a bit of mystery and ambiguity around it. How do you choose the right chart, actually? And then how do you design charts to make sure that they convey proper meaning and understanding, rather than obscuring, confusing, or skewing the data? In this newsletter, we look at some little helpers to learn and get better at data visualization — from a whole set of free lessons on visualization to a design system focused on data viz to data and analytics songbooks and... birds! https://smashingconf.com/freiburg-2026 Day 1 of SmashingConf Freiburg (https://smashingconf.com/freiburg-2026) taking place today! (Image credits: Marc Thiele (https://marcthiele.com/photos/smashingconf-freiburg-2026) ) Today, the Smashing team is in Freiburg, Germany, for the annual SmashingConf Freiburg 🇩🇪 (https://smashingconf.com/freiburg-2026) (running strong since 2012!). We also have front-end & UX workshops (https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/) taking place online in the very same smashing spirit: * Live UX Training (https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/workshops/interface-design-course-vitaly-friedman/) UX with Vitaly Friedman. Sep 11 – Oct 12 * Figma MCP Masterclass (https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/workshops/figma-mcp-christine-vallaure/) Design with Christine Vallaure. Sep 14 * Accessibility For Designers (https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/workshops/accessibility-design-stephanie-walter/) UX with Stéphanie Walter. Sep 21–29 * Live Accessibility Testing (https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/workshops/live-accessibility-testing-manuel-matuzovic/) Free with Manuel Matuzović. Sep 24 * Resilient And Maintainable CSS (https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/workshops/modern-css-miriam-suzanne/) Dev with Miriam Suzanne. Oct 1–15 * Designing Websites That Convert (https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/workshops/converting-websites-paul-boag/) UX with Paul Boag. Oct 7 * Accessible Frontend Patterns (https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/workshops/accessible-frontend-patterns-manuel-matuzovic/) Dev with Manuel Matuzović. Oct 12 – Nov 2 * How To Measure UX and Design Impact (https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/workshops/vitaly-friedman-impact-design/) UX with Vitaly Friedman. Oct 20 – Nov 3 * Jump to all online workshops → (https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/) We had such an amazing time at SmashingConf Amsterdam 2026 (https://smashingconf.com/amsterdam-2026) that we can’t wait to do it all over again. We’re thrilled to announce that SmashingConf is returning to Amsterdam in 2027 (https://smashingconf.com/amsterdam-2027) ! Dates, speakers, workshops, and tickets are coming soon. https://smashingconf.com/amsterdam-2027 SmashingConf Amsterdam (https://smashingconf.com/amsterdam-2027) is coming back in 2027 — sign up here (https://smashingconf.com/amsterdam-2027) and be the first to know — including access to early-bird ticket prices before they go on sale to everyone else. Now, without further ado, let’s dive into all things data visualization! — Vitaly (https://www.linkedin.com/in/vitalyfriedman/) ------------------------------------------------------------ ** 1. Open Visualization Academy ------------------------------------------------------------ Whether you’re new to information design and data visualization or looking to enhance your skills, the Open Visualization Academy (https://openvisualizationacademy.org/) has got your back. Created by Alberto Cairo, the platform currently features 15 video courses taught by top experts. They cover everything from the fundamentals of visualizing data to accessibility, storytelling, cartography, generative AI, and more. A treasure chest of knowledge. https://openvisualizationacademy.org/ ------------------------------------------------------------ ** 2. Searching For Birds ------------------------------------------------------------ Do you have a soft spot for birds? Nadieh Bremer created a wonderful project that not only captures the hearts of bird lovers but also leaves everyone interested in data visualization, illustration, or storytelling awe-inspired. “Searching for Birds (https://searchingforbirds.visualcinnamon.com/) ” is an interactive, dataviz-driven story that connects humans with birds by exploring how we search for them. https://searchingforbirds.visualcinnamon.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ From our sponsor ** Your Website Shouldn’t Freeze The Day It Launches ------------------------------------------------------------ https://fimo.ai Launch is where most sites stop improving. Fimo keeps yours going: autonomous agents run on top of the code you own, fixing accessibility, syncing the design system, refreshing content, each change a clean commit you can review or let ship on its own. Try Fimo → (https://fimo.ai) ------------------------------------------------------------ ** 3. Data & Analytics Songbooks ------------------------------------------------------------ A fantastic overview of data visualization guidelines and best practices is the Data & Analytics Songbooks (https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVMn3WomE=/?moveToWidget=3458764563299736588&cot=14) Miro board. The board summarizes the wonderful work that Lisa Charlotte Muth (https://www.datawrapper.de/) , Aurélien Vautier (https://www.datavizclarity.com/) , and Piotr Czarnas (https://dqops.com/) share on all things data visualization — from color choice and color scale to color blindness, text and data requirements. https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVMn3WomE=/?moveToWidget=3458764563299736588&cot=14 ------------------------------------------------------------ ** 4. How To Choose The Right Chart ------------------------------------------------------------ We all know how tricky it can be to choose a chart type for a given situation. Uber’s Base Design System breaks the decision down into a standardized approach (https://base.uber.com/6d2425e9f/p/61b6c1-charts) based on the concepts users are trying to understand, the number of variables, and the fact if seeing the data change is important. Once you’re clear about these three key factors, making decisions on how to visualize the data becomes more straightforward. If you want to dive deeper into finding the best chart type to get your message across, Vitaly compiled some useful resources (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vitalyfriedman_how-to-choose-the-right-chart-https-share-7498801333844672513--wGH/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAACDcgQBa_vsk5breYKwZAgyIhsHtJaFbL8) , as well as design systems and Figma kits for data visualization. https://base.uber.com/6d2425e9f/p/61b6c1-charts ------------------------------------------------------------ From our sponsor ** Rethinking Web Animation: Tactile UX Without Physics ------------------------------------------------------------ https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2026/08/building-tactile-ux-honoring-intentional-design-lottie/ Tired of bloated physics engines slowing down your site? Learn how to craft highly responsive, tactile user experiences using lightweight Lottie files. Explore practical techniques to make your digital interfaces feel more physical, intuitive, and instantly engaging. Read more → (https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2026/08/building-tactile-ux-honoring-intentional-design-lottie/) ------------------------------------------------------------ ** 5. Visa Product Design System ------------------------------------------------------------ To make it easier for product teams to craft insightful, inclusive, and accessible data experiences, the Visa Product Design System (https://design.visa.com/data-visualization/) dedicates an entire section to the topic. It includes principles and techniques for visualizing and communicating insights, helpful tips for choosing the most effective chart, as well as usage, code, and accessibility guidance for data visualization components. https://design.visa.com/data-visualization/ ------------------------------------------------------------ ** 6. Accessible UX Research, Now Shipping 📚 ------------------------------------------------------------ We’ve got exciting news! Our newest Smashing book, Accessible UX Research by Michele A. Williams, is finally shipping worldwide! Get the book right away (https://www.smashingmagazine.com/printed-books/accessible-ux-research/) or order the eBook for instant download (https://www.smashingmagazine.com/ebooks/accessible-ux-research-ebook/) . https://www.smashingmagazine.com/printed-books/accessible-ux-research/ Meet our brand-new book: “Accessible UX Research (https://www.smashingmagazine.com/printed-books/accessible-ux-research/) ” by Michele A. Williams. Printed copies shipping now. Accessible UX Research is your practical guide to making UX research more inclusive of participants with different needs — from planning and recruiting to facilitation, asking better questions, avoiding bias, and building trust. Download a free sample (https://smashed.by/accessibleresearchsample) (PDF, 2.3MB) or get the book right away (https://www.smashingmagazine.com/printed-books/accessible-ux-research/) . ------------------------------------------------------------ ** 7. Person Of The Week: Tom Greenwood ------------------------------------------------------------ Please give a warm round of applause for our Person of the Week: Tom Greenwood (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tomgreenwood) . Tom is co-founder of the London-based WordPress agency Wholegrain Digital and an early green web pioneer. He created the first website carbon calculator (https://www.websitecarbon.com/) , co-authored the Sustainable Web Manifesto (https://www.sustainablewebmanifesto.com/) , and wrote the influential book Sustainable Web Design. https://www.smashingmagazine.com/person-of-the-week/tom-greenwood/ Tom has spoken internationally at events, and he regularly writes about design, business, and sustainability, exploring ideas that stretch thinking on how we can move toward a better world for everyone. Thank you for everything you do for the community, dear Tom! 🧡 ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Recent Articles on Smashing Magazine ------------------------------------------------------------ * The Many Faces Of September (2026 Wallpapers Edition) (https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2026/08/desktop-wallpaper-calendars-september-2026/) * Rethinking Data Visualisation: A UX Approach To Dashboards That Actually Drives Decisions (https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2026/08/rethinking-data-visualisation-ux-approach-dashboards/) * Why Your Website Should Never Stop Changing (https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2026/08/why-website-should-never-stop-changing/) * Timing Charts: A Blueprint For SMIL Animations (https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2026/08/timing-charts-blueprint-smil-animations/) ------------------------------------------------------------ ** That’s All, Folks! ------------------------------------------------------------ Thank you so much for reading and for your support in helping us keep the web dev and design community strong with our newsletter. See you next time! ------------------------------------------------------------ This newsletter issue was written and edited by Cosima Mielke, Vitaly Friedman, and Iris Lješnjanin. Sent to truly smashing (http://www.smashingmagazine.com/about/) readers via Mailchimp (http://www.mailchimp.com) . We sincerely appreciate your kind support. You rock. Follow us on Mastadon (https://mastodon.social/@smashingmag) • Join us on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/smashingmagazine.com) ============================================================ Weekly issues with useful tips for web devs. Email: ** newsletter@smashingmagazine.com (mailto:newsletter@smashingmagazine.com) . ** unsubscribe (https://smashingmagazine.us1.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=16b832d9ad4b28edf261f34df&id=a1666656e0&t=b&e=45c4871904&c=a26e083c4e) • ** update preferences (https://smashingmagazine.us1.list-manage.com/profile?u=16b832d9ad4b28edf261f34df&id=a1666656e0&e=45c4871904&c=a26e083c4e) • ** view in your browser (https://mailchi.mp/smashingmagazine/575-data-visualization?e=45c4871904) 1f:["$","article",null,{"className":"min-w-0 flex-1 overflow-hidden","aria-label":"#575: Data Visualization","children":[["$","$L27",null,{"emailId":"3ba8091f-a015-4fe3-8d6e-8fe046700919"}],["$","$L28",null,{"email":{"id":"3ba8091f-a015-4fe3-8d6e-8fe046700919","subject":"#575: Data Visualization","previewText":"Data visualization, choosing charts, open visualization academy, Visa product design system and searching for birds. Issue #575 • Sep 8, 2026 • View in the browser (https://mailchi.mp/smashingmagazine/575-data-visualization?e=45c4871904)\n\nhttps://www.smashingmagazine.com/the-smashing-newsletter/\n\n\n*","sentAt":"2026-09-08T14:10:52.000Z","classification":"marketing","imageCount":13,"thumbnailUrl":"https://mailspo-ingest.imraan-243.workers.dev/img/inbound/img/5858e9cc6b2f074261b21a97eb46d753b9453fef84475c9772f27010c8ae7ca9","emailType":"newsletter","typeConfidence":"guess","typeBasis":"no stronger signal","brand":"$25:props:brands:959","bodyHtml":"$29","textBody":"$2a","bodyFallback":null}}]]}] a:null f:[["$","title","0",{"children":"#575: Data Visualization by Smashing Magazine | Mailspo"}],["$","meta","1",{"name":"description","content":"Data visualization, choosing charts, open visualization academy, Visa product design system and searching for birds. Issue #575 • Sep 8, 2026 • View in the brow"}],["$","meta","2",{"name":"robots","content":"index, follow"}],["$","link","3",{"rel":"canonical","href":"https://mailspo.com/emails/3ba8091f-a015-4fe3-8d6e-8fe046700919"}],["$","meta","4",{"property":"og:title","content":"#575: Data Visualization by Smashing Magazine | Mailspo"}],["$","meta","5",{"property":"og:description","content":"Data visualization, choosing charts, open visualization academy, Visa product design system and searching for birds. Issue #575 • Sep 8, 2026 • View in the brow"}],["$","meta","6",{"property":"og:url","content":"https://mailspo.com/emails/3ba8091f-a015-4fe3-8d6e-8fe046700919"}],["$","meta","7",{"property":"og:site_name","content":"Mailspo"}],["$","meta","8",{"property":"og:image","content":"https://mailspo-ingest.imraan-243.workers.dev/img/inbound/img/5858e9cc6b2f074261b21a97eb46d753b9453fef84475c9772f27010c8ae7ca9"}],["$","meta","9",{"property":"og:image:alt","content":"Smashing Magazine email creative: #575: Data Visualization"}],["$","meta","10",{"property":"og:type","content":"article"}],["$","meta","11",{"property":"article:published_time","content":"2026-09-08T14:10:52.000Z"}],["$","meta","12",{"name":"twitter:card","content":"summary_large_image"}],["$","meta","13",{"name":"twitter:title","content":"#575: Data Visualization by Smashing Magazine | Mailspo"}],["$","meta","14",{"name":"twitter:description","content":"Data visualization, choosing charts, open visualization academy, Visa product design system and searching for birds. Issue #575 • Sep 8, 2026 • View in the brow"}],["$","meta","15",{"name":"twitter:image","content":"https://mailspo-ingest.imraan-243.workers.dev/img/inbound/img/5858e9cc6b2f074261b21a97eb46d753b9453fef84475c9772f27010c8ae7ca9"}],["$","meta","16",{"name":"twitter:image:alt","content":"Smashing Magazine email creative: #575: Data Visualization"}],["$","link","17",{"rel":"icon","href":"/favicon.ico?favicon.3lxqohtg4uvbd.ico","sizes":"48x48","type":"image/x-icon"}],["$","$L2b","18",{}]]

Search Mailspo