Every type of visualization has its place. If you work with science and are always dealing with four-dimensional graphs of some nerdy function, that' s terrific. But not everyone gets that kind of experience.
Find out — are there commonplace types of charts in your environment and are they understandable to those who work with them? If you think a certain type of visualization performs great — does everyone understand it? Strive to use simple diagrams, even if they seem boring to you. And move on to more complex, unconventional examples only if you clearly understand why and for whom.
How do you test a diagram for "understandability"? Try showing it to someone who isn’t yet familiar with it. Do a little survey with 2−5 people, see how well they grasp the meaning of the displayed data. And if you need to, do some additional mini-training on how to work with it.
