Isotype Visualization

Isotype Visualization shows the distribution of animals across UK and US. Inspired by Only An Ocean Between, 1943. Population Live Stock, p.13. This is adapted from Vega-Lite example https://vega.github.io/editor/#/examples/vega-lite/isotype_bar_chart

Method syntax

import altair as alt
import pandas as pd

source = pd.DataFrame([
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'sheep'}
    ])

domains = ['person', 'cattle', 'pigs', 'sheep']

shape_scale = alt.Scale(
    domain=domains,
    range=[
        'M1.7 -1.7h-0.8c0.3 -0.2 0.6 -0.5 0.6 -0.9c0 -0.6 -0.4 -1 -1 -1c-0.6 0 -1 0.4 -1 1c0 0.4 0.2 0.7 0.6 0.9h-0.8c-0.4 0 -0.7 0.3 -0.7 0.6v1.9c0 0.3 0.3 0.6 0.6 0.6h0.2c0 0 0 0.1 0 0.1v1.9c0 0.3 0.2 0.6 0.3 0.6h1.3c0.2 0 0.3 -0.3 0.3 -0.6v-1.8c0 0 0 -0.1 0 -0.1h0.2c0.3 0 0.6 -0.3 0.6 -0.6v-2c0.2 -0.3 -0.1 -0.6 -0.4 -0.6z',
        'M4 -2c0 0 0.9 -0.7 1.1 -0.8c0.1 -0.1 -0.1 0.5 -0.3 0.7c-0.2 0.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2c0 0.2 -0.2 0.8 -0.4 0.7c-0.1 0 -0.8 -0.3 -1.3 -0.2c-0.5 0.1 -1.3 1.6 -1.5 2c-0.3 0.4 -0.6 0.4 -0.6 0.4c0 0.1 0.3 1.7 0.4 1.8c0.1 0.1 -0.4 0.1 -0.5 0c0 0 -0.6 -1.9 -0.6 -1.9c-0.1 0 -0.3 -0.1 -0.3 -0.1c0 0.1 -0.5 1.4 -0.4 1.6c0.1 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.3c0 0 -0.4 0 -0.4 0c0 0 -0.2 -0.1 -0.1 -0.3c0 -0.2 0.3 -1.7 0.3 -1.7c0 0 -2.8 -0.9 -2.9 -0.8c-0.2 0.1 -0.4 0.6 -0.4 1c0 0.4 0.5 1.9 0.5 1.9l-0.5 0l-0.6 -2l0 -0.6c0 0 -1 0.8 -1 1c0 0.2 -0.2 1.3 -0.2 1.3c0 0 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3c0 0 -0.5 0 -0.5 0c0 0 -0.2 -0.2 -0.1 -0.4c0 -0.1 0.2 -1.6 0.2 -1.6c0 0 0.5 -0.4 0.5 -0.5c0 -0.1 0 -2.7 -0.2 -2.7c-0.1 0 -0.4 2 -0.4 2c0 0 0 0.2 -0.2 0.5c-0.1 0.4 -0.2 1.1 -0.2 1.1c0 0 -0.2 -0.1 -0.2 -0.2c0 -0.1 -0.1 -0.7 0 -0.7c0.1 -0.1 0.3 -0.8 0.4 -1.4c0 -0.6 0.2 -1.3 0.4 -1.5c0.1 -0.2 0.6 -0.4 0.6 -0.4z',
        'M1.2 -2c0 0 0.7 0 1.2 0.5c0.5 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.6c0.1 0 0.7 0 0.8 0.1c0.1 0 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2c0 0 -0.6 0.2 -0.6 0.3c0 0.1 0.4 0.9 0.6 0.9c0.1 0 0.6 0 0.6 0.1c0 0.1 0 0.7 -0.1 0.7c-0.1 0 -1.2 0.4 -1.5 0.5c-0.3 0.1 -1.1 0.5 -1.1 0.7c-0.1 0.2 0.4 1.2 0.4 1.2l-0.4 0c0 0 -0.4 -0.8 -0.4 -0.9c0 -0.1 -0.1 -0.3 -0.1 -0.3l-0.2 0l-0.5 1.3l-0.4 0c0 0 -0.1 -0.4 0 -0.6c0.1 -0.1 0.3 -0.6 0.3 -0.7c0 0 -0.8 0 -1.5 -0.1c-0.7 -0.1 -1.2 -0.3 -1.2 -0.2c0 0.1 -0.4 0.6 -0.5 0.6c0 0 0.3 0.9 0.3 0.9l-0.4 0c0 0 -0.4 -0.5 -0.4 -0.6c0 -0.1 -0.2 -0.6 -0.2 -0.5c0 0 -0.4 0.4 -0.6 0.4c-0.2 0.1 -0.4 0.1 -0.4 0.1c0 0 -0.1 0.6 -0.1 0.6l-0.5 0l0 -1c0 0 0.5 -0.4 0.5 -0.5c0 -0.1 -0.7 -1.2 -0.6 -1.4c0.1 -0.1 0.1 -1.1 0.1 -1.1c0 0 -0.2 0.1 -0.2 0.1c0 0 0 0.9 0 1c0 0.1 -0.2 0.3 -0.3 0.3c-0.1 0 0 -0.5 0 -0.9c0 -0.4 0 -0.4 0.2 -0.6c0.2 -0.2 0.6 -0.3 0.8 -0.8c0.3 -0.5 1 -0.6 1 -0.6z',
        'M-4.1 -0.5c0.2 0 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.2c0.3 0 0.3 -0.2 0.5 -0.2c0.2 0 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2c0.2 0 0.2 -0.2 0.5 -0.2c0.2 0 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2c0.2 0 0.2 -0.2 0.4 -0.2c0.1 0 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.1c0.2 0 0.2 -0.2 0.4 -0.3c0.1 0 0.1 -0.1 0.4 0c0.3 0 0.3 -0.4 0.6 -0.4c0.3 0 0.6 -0.3 0.7 -0.2c0.1 0.1 1.4 1 1.3 1.4c-0.1 0.4 -0.3 0.3 -0.4 0.3c-0.1 0 -0.5 -0.4 -0.7 -0.2c-0.3 0.2 -0.1 0.4 -0.2 0.6c-0.1 0.1 -0.2 0.2 -0.3 0.4c0 0.2 0.1 0.3 0 0.5c-0.1 0.2 -0.3 0.2 -0.3 0.5c0 0.3 -0.2 0.3 -0.3 0.6c-0.1 0.2 0 0.3 -0.1 0.5c-0.1 0.2 -0.1 0.2 -0.2 0.3c-0.1 0.1 0.3 1.1 0.3 1.1l-0.3 0c0 0 -0.3 -0.9 -0.3 -1c0 -0.1 -0.1 -0.2 -0.3 -0.2c-0.2 0 -0.3 0.1 -0.4 0.4c0 0.3 -0.2 0.8 -0.2 0.8l-0.3 0l0.3 -1c0 0 0.1 -0.6 -0.2 -0.5c-0.3 0.1 -0.2 -0.1 -0.4 -0.1c-0.2 -0.1 -0.3 0.1 -0.4 0c-0.2 -0.1 -0.3 0.1 -0.5 0c-0.2 -0.1 -0.1 0 -0.3 0.3c-0.2 0.3 -0.4 0.3 -0.4 0.3l0.2 1.1l-0.3 0l-0.2 -1.1c0 0 -0.4 -0.6 -0.5 -0.4c-0.1 0.3 -0.1 0.4 -0.3 0.4c-0.1 -0.1 -0.2 1.1 -0.2 1.1l-0.3 0l0.2 -1.1c0 0 -0.3 -0.1 -0.3 -0.5c0 -0.3 0.1 -0.5 0.1 -0.7c0.1 -0.2 -0.1 -1 -0.2 -1.1c-0.1 -0.2 -0.2 -0.8 -0.2 -0.8c0 0 -0.1 -0.5 0.4 -0.8z'
    ]
)

color_scale = alt.Scale(
    domain=domains,
    range=['rgb(162,160,152)', 'rgb(194,81,64)', 'rgb(93,93,93)', 'rgb(91,131,149)']
)

alt.Chart(source).mark_point(filled=True, opacity=1, size=100).encode(
    alt.X('x:O').axis(None),
    alt.Y('animal:O').axis(None),
    alt.Row('country:N').header(title=''),
    alt.Shape('animal:N').legend(None).scale(shape_scale),
    alt.Color('animal:N').legend(None).scale(color_scale),
).transform_window(
    x='rank()',
    groupby=['country', 'animal']
).properties(
    width=550,
    height=140
)

Attribute syntax

import altair as alt
import pandas as pd

source = pd.DataFrame([
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'Great Britain', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'cattle'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'pigs'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'sheep'},
      {'country': 'United States', 'animal': 'sheep'}
    ])

domains = ['person', 'cattle', 'pigs', 'sheep']

shape_scale = alt.Scale(
    domain=domains,
    range=[
        'M1.7 -1.7h-0.8c0.3 -0.2 0.6 -0.5 0.6 -0.9c0 -0.6 -0.4 -1 -1 -1c-0.6 0 -1 0.4 -1 1c0 0.4 0.2 0.7 0.6 0.9h-0.8c-0.4 0 -0.7 0.3 -0.7 0.6v1.9c0 0.3 0.3 0.6 0.6 0.6h0.2c0 0 0 0.1 0 0.1v1.9c0 0.3 0.2 0.6 0.3 0.6h1.3c0.2 0 0.3 -0.3 0.3 -0.6v-1.8c0 0 0 -0.1 0 -0.1h0.2c0.3 0 0.6 -0.3 0.6 -0.6v-2c0.2 -0.3 -0.1 -0.6 -0.4 -0.6z',
        'M4 -2c0 0 0.9 -0.7 1.1 -0.8c0.1 -0.1 -0.1 0.5 -0.3 0.7c-0.2 0.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2c0 0.2 -0.2 0.8 -0.4 0.7c-0.1 0 -0.8 -0.3 -1.3 -0.2c-0.5 0.1 -1.3 1.6 -1.5 2c-0.3 0.4 -0.6 0.4 -0.6 0.4c0 0.1 0.3 1.7 0.4 1.8c0.1 0.1 -0.4 0.1 -0.5 0c0 0 -0.6 -1.9 -0.6 -1.9c-0.1 0 -0.3 -0.1 -0.3 -0.1c0 0.1 -0.5 1.4 -0.4 1.6c0.1 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.3c0 0 -0.4 0 -0.4 0c0 0 -0.2 -0.1 -0.1 -0.3c0 -0.2 0.3 -1.7 0.3 -1.7c0 0 -2.8 -0.9 -2.9 -0.8c-0.2 0.1 -0.4 0.6 -0.4 1c0 0.4 0.5 1.9 0.5 1.9l-0.5 0l-0.6 -2l0 -0.6c0 0 -1 0.8 -1 1c0 0.2 -0.2 1.3 -0.2 1.3c0 0 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3c0 0 -0.5 0 -0.5 0c0 0 -0.2 -0.2 -0.1 -0.4c0 -0.1 0.2 -1.6 0.2 -1.6c0 0 0.5 -0.4 0.5 -0.5c0 -0.1 0 -2.7 -0.2 -2.7c-0.1 0 -0.4 2 -0.4 2c0 0 0 0.2 -0.2 0.5c-0.1 0.4 -0.2 1.1 -0.2 1.1c0 0 -0.2 -0.1 -0.2 -0.2c0 -0.1 -0.1 -0.7 0 -0.7c0.1 -0.1 0.3 -0.8 0.4 -1.4c0 -0.6 0.2 -1.3 0.4 -1.5c0.1 -0.2 0.6 -0.4 0.6 -0.4z',
        'M1.2 -2c0 0 0.7 0 1.2 0.5c0.5 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.6c0.1 0 0.7 0 0.8 0.1c0.1 0 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2c0 0 -0.6 0.2 -0.6 0.3c0 0.1 0.4 0.9 0.6 0.9c0.1 0 0.6 0 0.6 0.1c0 0.1 0 0.7 -0.1 0.7c-0.1 0 -1.2 0.4 -1.5 0.5c-0.3 0.1 -1.1 0.5 -1.1 0.7c-0.1 0.2 0.4 1.2 0.4 1.2l-0.4 0c0 0 -0.4 -0.8 -0.4 -0.9c0 -0.1 -0.1 -0.3 -0.1 -0.3l-0.2 0l-0.5 1.3l-0.4 0c0 0 -0.1 -0.4 0 -0.6c0.1 -0.1 0.3 -0.6 0.3 -0.7c0 0 -0.8 0 -1.5 -0.1c-0.7 -0.1 -1.2 -0.3 -1.2 -0.2c0 0.1 -0.4 0.6 -0.5 0.6c0 0 0.3 0.9 0.3 0.9l-0.4 0c0 0 -0.4 -0.5 -0.4 -0.6c0 -0.1 -0.2 -0.6 -0.2 -0.5c0 0 -0.4 0.4 -0.6 0.4c-0.2 0.1 -0.4 0.1 -0.4 0.1c0 0 -0.1 0.6 -0.1 0.6l-0.5 0l0 -1c0 0 0.5 -0.4 0.5 -0.5c0 -0.1 -0.7 -1.2 -0.6 -1.4c0.1 -0.1 0.1 -1.1 0.1 -1.1c0 0 -0.2 0.1 -0.2 0.1c0 0 0 0.9 0 1c0 0.1 -0.2 0.3 -0.3 0.3c-0.1 0 0 -0.5 0 -0.9c0 -0.4 0 -0.4 0.2 -0.6c0.2 -0.2 0.6 -0.3 0.8 -0.8c0.3 -0.5 1 -0.6 1 -0.6z',
        'M-4.1 -0.5c0.2 0 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.2c0.3 0 0.3 -0.2 0.5 -0.2c0.2 0 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2c0.2 0 0.2 -0.2 0.5 -0.2c0.2 0 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2c0.2 0 0.2 -0.2 0.4 -0.2c0.1 0 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.1c0.2 0 0.2 -0.2 0.4 -0.3c0.1 0 0.1 -0.1 0.4 0c0.3 0 0.3 -0.4 0.6 -0.4c0.3 0 0.6 -0.3 0.7 -0.2c0.1 0.1 1.4 1 1.3 1.4c-0.1 0.4 -0.3 0.3 -0.4 0.3c-0.1 0 -0.5 -0.4 -0.7 -0.2c-0.3 0.2 -0.1 0.4 -0.2 0.6c-0.1 0.1 -0.2 0.2 -0.3 0.4c0 0.2 0.1 0.3 0 0.5c-0.1 0.2 -0.3 0.2 -0.3 0.5c0 0.3 -0.2 0.3 -0.3 0.6c-0.1 0.2 0 0.3 -0.1 0.5c-0.1 0.2 -0.1 0.2 -0.2 0.3c-0.1 0.1 0.3 1.1 0.3 1.1l-0.3 0c0 0 -0.3 -0.9 -0.3 -1c0 -0.1 -0.1 -0.2 -0.3 -0.2c-0.2 0 -0.3 0.1 -0.4 0.4c0 0.3 -0.2 0.8 -0.2 0.8l-0.3 0l0.3 -1c0 0 0.1 -0.6 -0.2 -0.5c-0.3 0.1 -0.2 -0.1 -0.4 -0.1c-0.2 -0.1 -0.3 0.1 -0.4 0c-0.2 -0.1 -0.3 0.1 -0.5 0c-0.2 -0.1 -0.1 0 -0.3 0.3c-0.2 0.3 -0.4 0.3 -0.4 0.3l0.2 1.1l-0.3 0l-0.2 -1.1c0 0 -0.4 -0.6 -0.5 -0.4c-0.1 0.3 -0.1 0.4 -0.3 0.4c-0.1 -0.1 -0.2 1.1 -0.2 1.1l-0.3 0l0.2 -1.1c0 0 -0.3 -0.1 -0.3 -0.5c0 -0.3 0.1 -0.5 0.1 -0.7c0.1 -0.2 -0.1 -1 -0.2 -1.1c-0.1 -0.2 -0.2 -0.8 -0.2 -0.8c0 0 -0.1 -0.5 0.4 -0.8z'
    ]
)

color_scale = alt.Scale(
    domain=domains,
    range=['rgb(162,160,152)', 'rgb(194,81,64)', 'rgb(93,93,93)', 'rgb(91,131,149)']
)

alt.Chart(source).mark_point(filled=True, opacity=1, size=100).encode(
    alt.X('x:O', axis=None),
    alt.Y('animal:O', axis=None),
    alt.Row('country:N', header=alt.Header(title='')),
    alt.Shape('animal:N', legend=None, scale=shape_scale),
    alt.Color('animal:N', legend=None, scale=color_scale),
).transform_window(
    x='rank()',
    groupby=['country', 'animal']
).properties(width=550, height=140)