RAWGraphs is an open-source data visualization framework designed to transform spreadsheet or tabular data into meaningful and visually rich vector-based graphics. Originally developed at DensityDesign Lab within Politecnico di Milano, RAWGraphs is built with designers and data professionals in mind, offering a balance between simplicity, flexibility, and visual quality.
Unlike traditional charting tools focused on standard formats, RAWGraphs specializes in custom visualizations, providing advanced layouts such as alluvial diagrams, dendrograms, bump charts, circular plots, and more. The platform enables users to explore and communicate complex data stories through tailored visual representations that can be exported as SVG or PNG for further editing.
Accessible via a browser and with no coding required, RAWGraphs is especially popular among information designers, journalists, educators, and researchers seeking creative ways to present data insights.
Features
RAWGraphs provides a wide range of features that set it apart as a powerful yet accessible visualization tool.
No-Code Interface
Users can create complex and detailed charts without writing a single line of code. The browser-based interface is intuitive and easy to navigate.
Wide Range of Chart Types
Supports a variety of advanced visualization models not commonly available in typical data tools. These include:
Alluvial diagrams
Circular dendrograms
Treemaps
Voronoi maps
Sunburst charts
Beeswarm plots
Bump charts
Circular bar plots
Convex hulls
Streamgraphs
Customizable Visual Output
Charts can be adjusted in terms of size, color, layout, and axis values. Users have control over visual attributes and encodings.
Import Data Easily
Users can upload datasets in CSV, TSV, or Excel format or paste directly from spreadsheets.
SVG and PNG Export
Visualizations can be exported as vector graphics (SVG) for further editing in tools like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape, or as PNG images for web use.
Open-Source Code
Available freely under the Apache 2.0 license, allowing users to host their own version, modify the tool, or contribute to the community.
Data Privacy Friendly
All data uploaded into the RAWGraphs web interface stays local in the browser and is not sent to any external servers, ensuring full data confidentiality.
Custom Chart Engine
RAWGraphs uses its own visualization engine built on D3.js, which makes it highly flexible and extensible for developers.
API and Developer Access
Developers can build custom charts or integrate RAWGraphs with other tools using the available libraries and documentation.
Responsive Design
Works smoothly in modern web browsers with adaptive layout and UI responsiveness for various screen sizes.
How It Works
RAWGraphs works as a client-side web application that transforms structured data into visual formats using an intuitive mapping process.
To begin, users upload a dataset or paste it into the interface. The tool automatically parses the data and guides the user through selecting a visualization model. From there, users map data fields (dimensions and metrics) to visual properties such as size, position, color, and shape.
Once the visual mapping is complete, the system generates the chart instantly in the browser using its underlying D3.js engine. Users can tweak styles, adjust dimensions, filter fields, or reorder categories directly within the interface.
When satisfied, users can export the final chart as an SVG or PNG for use in reports, presentations, publications, or design software.
For developers, RAWGraphs also provides the ability to self-host the platform or build new custom visual models using its modular architecture.
Use Cases
RAWGraphs serves a wide range of professionals across design, education, journalism, research, and data science.
Information Design
Create highly customized charts for infographics, reports, or editorial layouts where aesthetics are just as important as data accuracy.
Journalism
Visualize complex social, economic, or political data for public-facing stories, adding clarity and visual appeal to key findings.
Academic Research
Turn survey results, experimental data, or bibliographic data into visual insights for papers, posters, and academic publications.
Education
Help students learn about data visualization principles and explore creative ways to represent statistics and trends.
Policy Analysis
Represent multidimensional government or organizational data in ways that highlight relationships, changes, and priorities over time.
Business Presentations
Go beyond bar and pie charts with rich visual storytelling techniques that capture stakeholder attention.
Scientific Communication
Use specialized layouts like dendrograms and network diagrams to explain relationships in biology, physics, and other disciplines.
Art and Culture
Explore creative and abstract representations of data for use in digital art or cultural exhibitions.
Nonprofits and NGOs
Showcase impact metrics, outreach data, or global trends in ways that are compelling and accessible to the public.
Pricing
RAWGraphs is a fully open-source and free platform. There are no fees to use the tool, and it can be freely integrated into other systems or self-hosted.
Key details:
Free to use under the Apache 2.0 License
No subscriptions or paid features
Source code available via GitHub
Community-driven development model
Commercial and nonprofit organizations are welcome to use RAWGraphs for professional projects without restriction.
Strengths
RAWGraphs offers numerous advantages for users seeking flexible and creative data visualization tools.
Advanced Visualization Options
Includes chart types that go far beyond typical dashboard tools, making it ideal for storytelling and design-heavy use cases.
No Code Required
Enables designers and analysts without programming backgrounds to create beautiful charts quickly.
Data Privacy
All processing is done client-side in the browser, ensuring data is never uploaded to a server.
Export as Vector Graphics
Support for SVG export allows full creative control and high-resolution outputs for publishing and editing.
Open Source and Customizable
Can be forked, modified, and integrated into custom workflows or products by developers.
Design-Centric Approach
Ideal for use cases where visual appeal, uniqueness, and clarity are essential.
Cross-Platform Accessibility
Runs entirely in modern browsers without needing installation or login credentials.
Community-Driven
Backed by contributors and researchers with a focus on transparency, open development, and educational value.
Drawbacks
While RAWGraphs is powerful, it also comes with certain limitations.
Not a Data Analysis Tool
RAWGraphs is designed for visualization, not for data cleaning, analysis, or statistical modeling.
No Live Data Connections
It does not connect to databases or APIs; users must upload static data files manually.
Limited Interactivity
Unlike dashboard tools, RAWGraphs outputs are static by default. Interactive web publishing requires custom development.
Learning Curve for Complex Charts
Although no coding is needed, understanding how to map variables correctly in complex chart types may take time.
Not Ideal for Dashboards
RAWGraphs is better suited to one-off visualizations than ongoing performance tracking or KPI dashboards.
Comparison with Other Tools
RAWGraphs is often compared with tools like Tableau, Flourish, Datawrapper, and D3.js.
Tableau is a commercial platform with powerful dashboarding, but it’s not free and limits customization of chart design.
Flourish is also focused on storytelling with interactive templates but requires a subscription for custom visuals and exports.
Datawrapper is user-friendly for simple charts but lacks the deep layout flexibility of RAWGraphs.
D3.js is extremely flexible but requires coding skills and time to build visualizations from scratch.
RAWGraphs strikes a unique balance between power and ease-of-use, offering advanced charting capabilities without the need to code, all while being completely free and open-source.
Customer Reviews and Testimonials
RAWGraphs is widely used by designers, academics, journalists, and data visualization professionals. While not marketed through commercial testimonials, its impact is evident from its adoption in:
University courses and educational materials
Research labs and open data projects
Newsrooms creating visual explainers
Designers using SVG exports in Adobe Illustrator
Open data communities showcasing public insights
The GitHub project has thousands of stars and active contributors, reflecting strong community engagement.
Conclusion
RAWGraphs is a versatile and powerful data visualization tool built for those who care about both clarity and creativity in communicating data. Whether you’re a designer crafting infographics, a journalist telling data stories, or a researcher visualizing complex relationships, RAWGraphs provides the tools you need to turn spreadsheets into compelling visual content.
Its open-source nature, privacy-friendly architecture, and support for advanced chart types make it a standout platform in the data visualization landscape. For anyone looking to break free from standard charts and explore richer storytelling, RAWGraphs is the ideal starting point.
