January 1, 2022

How to Use Tableau Marimekko Chart Templates

By Luke Stanke

Marimekko charts–also known as a Mosaic Plot–use two dimensions to visualize a quantitive measure. There are many great tutorials on marimekko charts, but I was recently asked to create a marimekko chart with padding and rounded corners.

The original intention was to create a tutorial on how to create this chart, but given the number of calculations, I’ve decided to post a template for you to use.

This post shows you how to use the template.

Before you start, be sure to download the template.

Step #1: Open the Workbook & Edit the Data Source

Open the workbook. Go to Data –> “Edit the data source”. 

Create a new connection to your target data source. Click-drag-and-replace “Orders (Replace This)” with your new data source.

Edit the relationship where. With the new data source, click Create Relationship Calculation. Type the number 1. Then hit OK. For the “Model (Keep This)” data source choose the One field.

Step #2: Edit the Calculations

You will need to edit three calculations: x_field, y_field, and KPI. They are in a folder called “Update These.”

You will need to edit three calculations: x_field, y_field, and KPI. They are in a folder called “Update These”. The x_field and y_field need to be updated with dimensions, while KPI needs to be updated with your measure of interest. The KPI is currently a row-level value (not an aggregation). Use an LOD if you need to aggregate.

After you update the calculations may still be broken. If so, double-click on [x] on columns and add a space after the calculation. Repeat for [y] on rows. This should fix the calculations.

Step #3: Edit the Parameters

With the template, you have the ability to change the radius of the edges or change the spacing (aka padding) between each of the members.

I’ve set limits on the padding and radius. But you probably don’t want to go above 0.01 padding (1% per member of a dimension) or 0.05 spacing (5% of a member of a dimension).

I’d recommend trying out different settings to find what you like.

Download the template from Tableau Public.

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