Distribution Curve

About this block

Distribution Curve shows the whole field instead of its average. Bucketed shares of accounts run as a shadcn area curve with a dashed reference line marking the median, and the footnote translates the shape into the two numbers readers keep, the median and where the top decile starts. The lede makes the argument for distributions, averages flatter nobody.

Built on ui/chart with a ReferenceLine for the median marker, the data array of buckets is the publication surface. Distributions out perform averages in shareability because every reader finds themselves somewhere specific on the curve.

When to use

Reach for this block in benchmark reports after industry-benchmark-bars, the bars compare segments, the curve places individuals. It is the section screenshots come from, the where are you question is the engagement engine of benchmark content.

A natural flow around it on a Marketing Pro page:

Before

• Benchmark bars establishing the headline comparisons

After

• Percentile callouts naming the thresholds that matter
• Calculators letting readers compute their own position

What you can display

One strong use is the open rate distribution across your platform. Other curves:

• Response time distribution. Where support teams fall, for a service benchmark.
• List size distribution. The long tail of audience sizes, comforting for small senders.
• Budget distribution. Spend per company size band for a planning report.

Tip: mark the median on the chart itself, readers should not have to find the footnote to locate the middle.