Specialized
Small Multiples
Same chart repeated for each subset, enabling comparison across a grid of panels.
Sales by Region
12-month trend — North flat, South dips in summer, East climbs, West peaks in winter
View data (48 rows)
| Month | Sales | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | North |
| Feb | 42 | North |
| Mar | 45 | North |
| Apr | 48 | North |
| May | 50 | North |
| Jun | 52 | North |
| Jul | 50 | North |
| Aug | 48 | North |
| Sep | 50 | North |
| Oct | 52 | North |
| Nov | 50 | North |
| Dec | 48 | North |
| Jan | 32 | South |
| Feb | 35 | South |
| Mar | 38 | South |
| Apr | 40 | South |
| May | 38 | South |
| Jun | 30 | South |
| Jul | 25 | South |
| Aug | 26 | South |
| Sep | 32 | South |
| Oct | 38 | South |
| Nov | 40 | South |
| Dec | 35 | South |
| Jan | 25 | East |
| Feb | 27 | East |
| Mar | 30 | East |
| Apr | 33 | East |
| May | 36 | East |
| Jun | 38 | East |
| Jul | 41 | East |
| Aug | 44 | East |
| Sep | 47 | East |
| Oct | 50 | East |
| Nov | 53 | East |
| Dec | 56 | East |
| Jan | 50 | West |
| Feb | 48 | West |
| Mar | 42 | West |
| Apr | 38 | West |
| May | 35 | West |
| Jun | 32 | West |
| Jul | 30 | West |
| Aug | 32 | West |
| Sep | 38 | West |
| Oct | 44 | West |
| Nov | 50 | West |
| Dec | 55 | West |
Use a small multiples when…
- Comparing patterns across 4-16 subsets
- Faceted analysis by category
- When overlaying would be too cluttered
Avoid when…
- Fewer than 3 subsets
- When overlay comparison is clearer
- High-cardinality category fields (>16 levels) — the grid becomes a wall of thumbnails
Data it needs
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Min Rows | 12 |
| Min Columns | 3 |
| Column Types | stringstringnumber |
Visual anatomy
Marks
line or bar (repeated)
Channels
position (per panel)color
Axes
shared x and y across panels
Guiding principles
Consider instead
Common mistakes
Inconsistent scales across panels
Too many panels (>16)
History
Championed by Edward Tufte in Envisioning Information (1990); the same idea predates Tufte as William Cleveland's trellis displays in the early 1990s S/R statistical computing tradition.
Accessibility notes
Label each panel clearly. Maintain consistent scales. Pair panel hue with a redundant label or pattern so color-vision-deficient readers still distinguish panels at thumbnail size.
Related reading
Got data? Let's see what works.
Drop your CSV. You'll get a Small Multiples plus four alternatives - ranked by which one actually fits your data best.