Creates professional BBC News-style data visualizations using the bbplot package design principles.
Usage
bbcplots(
data,
y_var,
x_var,
group_var,
facet_var,
chart_type = "column",
bbc_colors = "bbc_blue",
custom_colors = "#1380A1, #FAAB18, #007f7f, #333333",
title_text = "",
subtitle_text = "",
source_text = "Source: Data analysis",
x_axis_title = "",
y_axis_title = "",
show_values = FALSE,
value_position = "above",
horizontal_gridlines = TRUE,
vertical_gridlines = FALSE,
legend_position = "top",
chart_width = 640,
chart_height = 450,
left_align_title = TRUE,
font_family = "Helvetica",
add_branding = FALSE,
export_finalized = FALSE,
statistical_annotations = FALSE,
stat_method = "auto",
confidence_level = 0.95,
show_sample_sizes = FALSE
)Arguments
- data
The data as a data frame.
- y_var
The dependent variable for the main axis.
- x_var
The independent variable for categories or groups.
- group_var
Optional variable for creating grouped or series comparisons.
- facet_var
Optional variable for creating faceted subplots.
- chart_type
The type of chart to create using BBC styling.
- bbc_colors
BBC-approved color scheme for data visualization.
- custom_colors
Custom color palette as comma-separated hex codes.
- title_text
Main title for the chart in BBC style (28pt Helvetica bold).
- subtitle_text
Subtitle for additional context (22pt Helvetica).
- source_text
Data source attribution for the chart footer.
- x_axis_title
Custom title for the X-axis (leave blank for variable name).
- y_axis_title
Custom title for the Y-axis (leave blank for variable name).
- show_values
Whether to display data values on the chart.
- value_position
Position of data value labels on chart elements.
- horizontal_gridlines
Whether to show horizontal gridlines (BBC standard).
- vertical_gridlines
Whether to show vertical gridlines (not BBC standard).
- legend_position
Position of the chart legend following BBC guidelines.
- chart_width
Width of the exported chart in pixels (BBC standard: 640).
- chart_height
Height of the exported chart in pixels (BBC standard: 450).
- left_align_title
Whether to left-align the title (BBC standard).
- font_family
Font family for text elements (Helvetica is BBC standard).
- add_branding
Whether to add BBC-style branding elements to the chart.
- export_finalized
Whether to export a finalized version with BBC formatting.
- statistical_annotations
Whether to include statistical test results on the chart.
- stat_method
Statistical test to perform and display on the chart.
- confidence_level
Confidence level for statistical intervals and tests.
- show_sample_sizes
Whether to display sample sizes for each group.
Value
A results object containing:
results$instructions | a html | ||||
results$main_plot | an image | ||||
results$finalized_plot | an image | ||||
results$statistical_results | a html | ||||
results$chart_summary | a html | ||||
results$color_guide | a html | ||||
results$design_notes | a html | ||||
results$export_code | a html | ||||
results$accessibility_info | a html |
Details
This module implements the BBC Visual and Data Journalism team's design standards for creating publication-ready graphics with clean typography, consistent color schemes, and professional branding elements. Perfect for creating news-quality visualizations for reports, presentations, and publications.
Features BBC's signature minimalist aesthetic with Helvetica typography, strategic use of gridlines, and standardized chart dimensions optimized for digital publication.
Examples
# Basic BBC-style visualization
library(bbplot)
#> Error in library(bbplot): there is no package called ‘bbplot’
library(ggplot2)
# Create plot with BBC styling
plot <- ggplot(data, aes(x = category, y = value)) +
geom_col(fill = "#1380A1") +
bbc_style()
#> Error in ggplot(data, aes(x = category, y = value)): `data` cannot be a function.
#> ℹ Have you misspelled the `data` argument in `ggplot()`
# Finalize with BBC branding
finalise_plot(plot, "Source: Data source", "output.png")
#> Error in finalise_plot(plot, "Source: Data source", "output.png"): could not find function "finalise_plot"