Icon plots are graphical tools for multivariate analysis. They provide graphical representation of observed units described by many variables. Each unit or observation is represented by a small image which depends on the values of the variables of interest.
Icon plots rely on the ability of the human eye-brain system to spot complex patterns and regularities in images, rather than on formal analytical methods.
Some common categories of icon plots are Chernoff faces, pie icon plots, circular icon plots. sequential icon plots.