1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to: receive a first indicator indicating a first graph element type selected by a user to present in a first cell of a canvas panel presented on a display; after receiving the first indicator and based on the first graph element type, determine a number of columns and a number of rows of data values to generate for a first graph element instance; generate first sample data to render the first graph element instance based on the first graph element type, wherein the generated first sample data includes a data value computed for each column and row of the determined number of columns and the determined number of rows; render the first graph element instance in the first cell of the canvas panel using the generated first sample data, wherein the first graph element instance is a visual representation of the first graph element type using the generated first sample data; receive a second indicator indicating selection of a second graph element type; receive a third indicator indicating dropping of the second indicator into the first cell of the canvas panel presented on the display; after receiving the third indicator and based on the first graph element type and the second graph element type, determine a second number of columns and a second number of rows of data values to generate for a second graph element instance based on the first graph element type and a third graph element instance based on the second graph element type; after determining the second number of columns and the second number of rows, generate second sample data to render the second graph element instance and the third graph element instance in the first cell of the canvas panel, wherein the generated second sample data includes a first data value, a second data value, and a third data value generated for each row of the determined second number of rows, wherein the generated second sample data is not generated using data stored on the computer-readable medium prior to receiving the third indicator; render the third graph element instance overlaid with the second graph element instance in the first cell of the canvas panel, wherein the first data value and the second data value generated for each row of the determined second number of rows are used to render the second graph element instance, and the first data value and the third data value generated for each row of the determined second number of rows are used to render the third graph element instance, wherein the second graph element instance is a second visual representation of the first graph element type using the generated second sample data, and the third graph element instance is a visual representation of the second graph element type using the generated second sample data; store a graph design template that captures characteristics of the second visual representation of the first graph element type and of the visual representation of the second graph element type in the first cell of the canvas panel without either the generated first sample data or the generated second sample data and without an indicator of either of the generated first sample data or the generated second sample data, wherein a common axis is used for the second graph element instance and the third graph element instance, and further wherein the first data values are used for the common axis and are automatically shared between the second graph element instance and the third graph element instance after the third indicator is received; receive a fourth indicator indicating selection of the third graph element instance; receive a fifth indicator indicating dropping of the fourth indicator into a second cell of the canvas panel; after receiving the fifth indicator and based on the second graph element type, determine a third number of columns and a third number of rows of data values to generate for a fourth graph element instance; generate third sample data to render the fourth graph element instance, wherein the generated third sample data includes a fourth data value generated for each column and each row of the determined third number of columns and the determined third number of rows, wherein at least a portion of the third sample data is different than the second sample data; render the first graph element instance in the first cell of the canvas panel with a first axis using the generated first sample data; and render the fourth graph element instance in the second cell of the canvas panel with a second axis parallel to the first axis using the generated third sample data, wherein first data points of the data values generated for the first axis are automatically different from second data points of the fourth data values generated for the second axis.