OrigamiPlot: An R Package and Shiny Web App Enhanced Visualizations for Multivariate Data

TL;DR

OrigamiPlot is an open-source R package and Shiny app that introduces a novel, invariant visualization technique for multivariate data, improving interpretability over traditional radar charts.

Contribution

It implements the origami plot, a new visualization method that addresses radar chart limitations, with customizable features for better multivariate data analysis.

Findings

Enhanced visualization of multivariate data

Invariant area property improves interpretability

Versatile application demonstrated with network meta-analysis

Abstract

We introduce OrigamiPlot, an open-source R package and Shiny web application designed to enhance the visualization of multivariate data. This package implements the origami plot, a novel visualization technique proposed by Duan et al. in 2023, which improves upon traditional radar charts by ensuring that the area of the connected region is invariant to the ordering of attributes, addressing a key limitation of radar charts. The software facilitates multivariate decision-making by supporting comparisons across multiple objects and attributes, offering customizable features such as auxiliary axes and weighted attributes for enhanced clarity. Through the R package and user-friendly Shiny interface, researchers can efficiently create and customize plots without requiring extensive programming knowledge. Demonstrated using network meta-analysis as a real-world example, OrigamiPlot proves to be a versatile tool for visualizing multivariate data across various fields. This package opens new opportunities for simplifying decision-making processes with complex data.