Chartosaur Blog

Practical takes on data visualization and storytelling.

NBC's Grocery Price Tracker

The Mixed Story Behind Your Shopping Cart

January 27, 2026|
InflationConsumer DataCommentary
NBC's Grocery Price Tracker: The Mixed Story Behind Your Shopping Cart
Chart by NBC News

NBC's tracker uses real checkout data to show how grocery prices have changed across different metro areas. Some items have dropped from earlier peaks while others are higher than last year.

When 3D Blocks Hide What Matters

Country Size vs GDP

January 2, 2026|
Scatter Plots3D ChartsCommentary
When 3D Blocks Hide What Matters: Country Size vs GDP

I came across this chart on r/dataisugly comparing country size to GDP. It's visually ambitious with 3D isometric blocks, but the design makes it harder to see the relationship between how big a country is and how much economic output it generates.

Spain's Fiscal Profiles

The Age Groups Paying In vs. Taking Out

December 22, 2025|
Fiscal PolicyDemographics
Spain's Fiscal Profiles: The Age Groups Paying In vs. Taking Out
Chart by Pablo García Guzmán via NTA-Spain

This chart packs in multiple tax types, spending categories, and every single age from 0 to 90.

Why Hexagons?

December 16, 2025|
TikTokAlgorithm
Why Hexagons?
Visualization by Washington Post

The Washington Post mapped 121,000 TikTok using viewing patterns alone. But why did they use hexagons to bin the data?

F1 2025

Breaking Down the Championship Win Scenarios

December 5, 2025|
F1Sports AnalyticsScenario AnalysisBronto Explores
F1 2025: Breaking Down the Championship Win Scenarios
Bronto Explores

As the 2025 F1 season enters its final stretch, multiple drivers still have mathematical chances at the championship. Let's visualize exactly what needs to happen for each contender.

Social Trust on a Line

December 3, 2025|
Diverging barsCommentary
Social Trust on a Line
Chart by Pew Research Center

Pew's social trust chart is a clean diverging bar layout that makes Can vs. Cannot obvious at a glance.

The NYT Approach to Busy Line Charts

November 29, 2025|
Line ChartsColor HierarchyVisual ClarityCommentary
The NYT Approach to Busy Line Charts
Chart by The New York Times

This chart from the NYT tracks global birth rates over 60+ years. It shows 15+ lines without becoming visual chaos. We explore how NYT uses color hierarchy to guide your eye and declutter a busy chart.