You can think of these six design types as differing by the way they are consumed. A process graph, like a flowchart or decision tree, is read differently than a single chart or a timeline. If we analyzed more than 30 graphics, we might come up with different buckets, but these serve the given sample nicely.
The average unique pageviews for each type are listed below, including the high-performing outliers. Should I Text Him? is the only process graph in the sample. We find that the two most viewed types do not contain visualizations of quantitative data (the process graph is a visualization of relationships).
Single charts are likely successful because they are easy to consume; the viewer only needs to learn how to read one “chunk” of visualization to get the whole story. Simplicity lends itself to quick understanding and sharing, whereas complexity can prevent a viewer from reaching those points. Curiously, mixed charts, which is what we commonly think of as the typical form of an infographic, is the least successful here, perhaps because they take more mental work to consume completely, again pointing to simplicity and brevity as strengths in visual communication.
This is a sample from Visual.ly – see full article.
