I know what indium is used for because a decade ago I worked in a lab where another group was working on displays (I was working on turbine components for jet engines, so I also know what niobium, hafnium, tantalum, platinum, tungsten, and other metallic elements are used for). I didn’t remember the exact details, but 30 seconds on Google led me to the transparent electrode information that I put into my comment.

Anyone else could have used Google to find the same information (plus some nutritional supplement information that I think is total rubbish). The problem is that most people a priori couldn’t care less. You can lead them to Google, but how do you make them search?

The little icons, or small informative labels, may seem unimportant to the expert designing the charts, but they are not chart junk.

Forced to remove “chart junk” to make the chart Tufte-compliant, we often remove (or don’t add) the necessary chart elements that create the connection between our highly optimized chart and the reader.

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. You may know what indium is used for and how important it is in the overall scheme of things. But a larger audience doesn’t know that, and that’s why those little icons the first chart are priceless.

I agree with Jorge. Although the revised chart is cleaner and I can easily devise which items are going to disappear first, I don’t know why I should care. It looks like Indium will disappear in my lifetime but I have no idea what that means. I also like the suggestion of putting the time line in terms of generations; will I see it disappear or my grandkids?

The other issue, and I’m sure this is a problem with having appropriate source data, the consumption rates probably are not linear. Are the consumption rates increasing or decreasing for these elements?

Now, what are you going to do to show me that I should care?

First, make it personal. Add my life span to the chart (and my sons’ and grandsons’). Then tell me what will be the impact on my lifestyle. Is this something that is used in my car, in my cellphone, in my clothes?

So, this is the rule: make the chart as informative as possible. Then make sure that the chart conveys a message the reader can relate to. Don’t target the eyes, target the brain and the heart.

Thanks for your suggestions. Framing a chart is reasonable, in fact, I hinted at it (a bit jokingly) in the last chart of my Bad Bar Chart Practices, or Send in the Clowns post.

I’m looking forward to hearing other suggestions Jon’s readers make.