The Bar Chart Was Invented in 1786
The bar chart was invented by William Playfair in 1786. He also invented the line graph and pie chart. Venn diagrams arrived in 1880, but Euler diagrams — which look similar — predate them by a century. Flowcharts weren't standardized until the 1940s.
Diagrams classify by what they show and how they show it. Process diagrams (flowcharts, Sankey diagrams), relationship diagrams (org charts, mind maps), and spatial diagrams (floor plans, schematics). A treemap and a sunburst show the same hierarchical data using different visual encodings. A scatter plot and a bubble chart differ by one added dimension.
Some classifications deceive. An infographic isn't a diagram — it's a container that holds many diagram types. A dashboard isn't a single visualization — it's a composition. 109 diagram types, organized by the visual thinking behind them.
Did you know?
- *The bar chart was invented by Scottish engineer William Playfair in 1786 — the same person who invented the line graph and pie chart.
- *Venn diagrams were introduced by John Venn in 1880, but Euler diagrams, which look similar, predate them by over a century.
- *The flowchart was popularized in the 1940s by computer scientists, but its precursor — the process chart — was created by Frank Gilbreth in 1921 for industrial engineering.
- *A treemap and a sunburst chart display exactly the same hierarchical data, just using fundamentally different visual encodings — nested rectangles versus concentric arcs.
What is GuessKin?
GuessKin is a free daily guessing game built on real-world taxonomy. Choose from over 20 categories and try to identify the mystery diagram. Each guess reveals how closely related your answer is to the target through a shared classification tree.
How does it work?
Every diagram in GuessKin sits on a taxonomy tree — a branching hierarchy that shows how things are classified and related. When you make a guess, the game shows you the nearest common ancestor between your guess and the answer. The closer that ancestor is to the answer, the warmer you are. The tree visualization grows with each guess, narrowing down where the answer lives and helping you triangulate.
How to get the best score
- •Fewer guesses is better. The ideal game is guessing it in 1. Every guess counts against your score.
- •Speed matters too. The timer starts on your first guess. Quick, confident answers are rewarded.
- •Read the tree. Each guess gives you real taxonomic information. Pay attention to which branch the answer is on and which branches you've already ruled out.
- •Start broad, then narrow. Your first guess splits the tree. Pick something that gives you maximum information, then drill into the revealed branch.
Each GuessKin category uses a real classification system. These aren't made-up groupings — they're the same systems scientists and specialists actually use. New categories are added regularly. Every category is free, with no accounts and no ads.