bubbeldiagrams

Bubbeldiagrams, also known as bubble charts or bubble plots, are a type of data visualization that displays three variables in a two-dimensional scatter plot. Two variables are represented by the x and y axes, as is typical in a scatter plot, while the third variable is represented by the size of each bubble or point. Larger bubbles indicate a larger value for the third variable, and smaller bubbles indicate a smaller value. The position of the bubble on the x and y axes still corresponds to the values of the other two variables.

These diagrams are useful for identifying relationships and patterns within datasets that involve three dimensions of quantitative data. They can help to highlight clusters of data points, outliers, and the correlation or lack thereof between the variables. For example, a company might use a bubbeldiagram to visualize sales performance, where the x-axis represents advertising spend, the y-axis represents product price, and the size of the bubble represents the total revenue generated. This allows for a quick understanding of how different combinations of advertising and price affect revenue.

Bubbeldiagrams are particularly effective when the third variable (represented by size) has a significant impact or when you want to emphasize its importance in the overall data story. However, it's important to ensure that the size differences are visually discernible and not misleading. Overlapping bubbles can sometimes make it difficult to interpret the data accurately, so careful design and consideration of the data range are important. They are a versatile tool for exploratory data analysis and for communicating complex relationships in a relatively simple visual format.