Before Starting — Create These Measures First
Step 1: Open your Power BI file with our dataset
Step 2: Create these measures in FactSales:
Total Sales = SUM(FactSales[SalesAmount])
Total Profit = SUM(FactSales[Profit])
Total Orders = COUNTROWS(FactSales)
Total Quantity = SUM(FactSales[Quantity])
Profit % = DIVIDE([Total Profit],[Total Sales],0)
Avg Order Value = AVERAGE(FactSales[SalesAmount])
Unique Customers = DISTINCTCOUNT(FactSales[CustomerID])
Sales LY = CALCULATE([Total Sales],SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR(DimDate[Date]))
YoY % = DIVIDE([Total Sales]-[Sales LY],[Sales LY],0)
Sales YTD = TOTALYTD([Total Sales],DimDate[Date])
MODULE 8: BASIC VISUALIZATIONS
How to Add Any Visual
Step 1: Go to Report View (1st icon on left)
Step 2: Click on BLANK AREA of canvas
Step 3: Go to Visualizations panel (RIGHT side)
Step 4: Click the visual icon you want
Step 5: A blank visual appears on canvas
Step 6: Drag fields from Fields panel into
the visual's field wells
1. Table Visual
Shows data in raw row-by-row format — like Excel.
When to Use:
✅ Show detailed transaction data
✅ When user needs to see individual rows
✅ Export data view
✅ Drill into specific records
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click TABLE icon in Visualizations panel
(looks like a grid)
Step 3: Drag these fields into "Columns":
→ DimProduct[ProductName]
→ DimCustomer[CustomerName]
→ DimRegion[RegionName]
→ FactSales[SalesAmount]
→ FactSales[Profit]
→ FactSales[Quantity]
Step 4: Format the Table:
→ Click visual
→ Format tab (paint roller icon)
→ Style presets → "Minimal" or "Bold header"
→ Column headers → Background = Dark Blue
→ Font size = 12
→ Word wrap = ON
Step 5: Sort by Sales:
→ Click "SalesAmount" column header
→ Click again to sort descending ↓
Result:
ProductName CustomerName Region SalesAmt Profit
Gaming Chair Rahul Sharma North India 150,000 45,000
4K Monitor Priya Patel West India 135,000 40,500
Laptop Pro 15 Amit Singh North India 128,250 38,475
...
2. Matrix Visual
Like a Pivot Table — shows data in rows AND columns with subtotals.
When to Use:
✅ Show data across two dimensions
✅ Need subtotals and grand totals
✅ Drill down through hierarchy
✅ Cross-tab analysis
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click MATRIX icon in Visualizations
(looks like a grid with bold top row)
Step 3: Drag fields:
ROWS → DimProduct[Category]
DimProduct[ProductName]
COLUMNS → DimDate[QuarterName]
VALUES → [Total Sales]
[Total Profit]
Step 4: Expand rows:
→ Click the ► arrow next to Category
→ Expands to show Products inside
Step 5: Format:
→ Format → Row subtotals → ON
→ Format → Column subtotals → ON
→ Format → Stepped layout → ON
Step 6: Enable Drill Down:
→ Click the ↓ icon on visual header
→ Now clicking "Electronics" shows
all products inside it
Result:
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total
Electronics
Laptop Pro 15 170,500 213,750 220,500 198,000 802,750
4K Monitor 131,000 206,000 202,500 165,500 705,000
Headphones 56,000 84,000 56,000 56,000 252,000
Subtotal 357,500 503,750 479,000 419,500 1,759,750
Furniture
Gaming Chair 135,000 150,000 110,000 110,000 505,000
...
Grand Total ... ... ... ... 3,415,100
3. Card Visual
Shows a single big number — perfect for KPIs.
When to Use:
✅ Show one important number
✅ KPI highlights at top of dashboard
✅ Total Sales, Total Profit, Order Count
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click CARD icon (looks like a square
with a number)
Step 3: Drag "[Total Sales]" to "Fields" well
Step 4: Format the Card:
→ Format → Callout value
Font size = 28
Bold = ON
Color = Dark Blue
→ Format → Category label
Text = "Total Sales"
Font size = 14
Step 5: Resize card:
→ Drag corners to make it smaller
→ Place at top of dashboard
Step 6: Create 4 cards side by side:
Card 1: [Total Sales] → "3,415,100"
Card 2: [Total Profit] → "998,375"
Card 3: [Total Orders] → "60"
Card 4: [Profit %] → "29.2%"
Format Numbers:
Step 1: Click the measure in Fields panel
Step 2: Measure Tools tab appears
Step 3: Format dropdown:
→ Currency (₹) for Sales
→ Percentage for Profit %
→ Whole number for Orders
Step 4: Display units:
→ Auto / Thousands / Millions
4. Multi Row Card
Shows multiple fields in one card — like a summary box.
When to Use:
✅ Show multiple KPIs in compact space
✅ Summary of selected item
✅ Customer/Product detail card
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click MULTI ROW CARD icon
(looks like stacked cards)
Step 3: Drag multiple fields to "Fields":
→ [Total Sales]
→ [Total Profit]
→ [Total Orders]
→ [Profit %]
→ [Avg Order Value]
→ [Unique Customers]
Step 4: Format:
→ Format → Card title → ON
→ Title text = "Sales Summary"
→ Format → Data labels
Font size = 16
Bold = ON
→ Format → Category labels
Font size = 12
Result:
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ Sales Summary │
│ Total Sales 3,415,100 │
│ Total Profit 998,375 │
│ Total Orders 60 │
│ Profit % 29.2% │
│ Avg Order Value 56,918 │
│ Unique Customers 10 │
└─────────────────────────┘
5. Bar Chart (Horizontal)
Shows comparison across categories — bars go LEFT to RIGHT.
When to Use:
✅ Compare categories with long names
✅ Ranking (best to worst)
✅ When you have many categories
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click CLUSTERED BAR CHART icon
(horizontal bars)
Step 3: Drag fields:
Y-axis → DimProduct[ProductName]
X-axis → [Total Sales]
Legend → DimProduct[Category]
(adds color by category)
Step 4: Sort bars:
→ Click "..." (3 dots) on visual
→ Sort axis → Total Sales
→ Sort descending ✅
(Longest bar at top)
Step 5: Format:
→ Format → Data labels → ON
Position = Outside end
Font size = 11
→ Format → Bars
Color = by Category (auto)
→ Format → X-axis → OFF
(clean look — remove axis)
→ Format → Title
Text = "Sales by Product"
Result:
4K Monitor ████████████████████ 705,000
Laptop Pro 15 ████████████████ 598,500
Gaming Chair ██████████████ 440,000
Wireless Headphones █████████ 252,000
...
6. Column Chart (Vertical)
Shows comparison or trend — bars go UP.
When to Use:
✅ Monthly/Quarterly comparisons
✅ Category comparison
✅ Time series (left to right = time)
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click CLUSTERED COLUMN CHART icon
(vertical bars)
Step 3: Drag fields:
X-axis → DimDate[MonthName]
Y-axis → [Total Sales]
Legend → (optional) DimProduct[Category]
Step 4: Sort X-axis by month order:
→ Click MonthName in Fields panel
→ Column Tools → Sort by Column
→ Select "Month" (number) column
→ Now months sort Jan→Dec correctly
Step 5: Format:
→ Format → Data labels → ON
→ Format → Columns
Color = your brand color
→ Format → X-axis
Font size = 11
Result:
Sales
│ ████
│ ████ ████ ████ ████
│ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ████
└──Jan───Feb───Mar───Apr───May───Jun──→
Clustered vs Stacked:
CLUSTERED → Bars side by side (compare categories)
STACKED → Bars on top of each other (show composition)
100% STACKED → Each bar = 100% (show percentage mix)
7. Line Chart
Shows trends over time — continuous line connecting data points.
When to Use:
✅ Show trend over time
✅ Month-over-Month analysis
✅ Multiple metrics comparison over time
✅ Running total visualization
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click LINE CHART icon
Step 3: Drag fields:
X-axis → DimDate[MonthName]
Y-axis → [Total Sales]
Y-axis → [Sales LY] (add second line)
Legend → leave blank
(legend auto-appears for 2 lines)
Step 4: Format:
→ Format → Lines
Total Sales → Color = Blue, Width = 3
Sales LY → Color = Red, Style = Dashed
→ Format → Data labels → ON
→ Format → Markers → ON
(shows dots at each data point)
→ Format → Title
Text = "Sales Trend 2024 vs 2023"
Result:
Sales
│ ╭─────╮ ╭──
│ ╭╯ ╰──╮ ╭──╮ ╭╯
│ ╭╯ ╰─╮ ╭──╯ ╰──╯ ← 2024 (Blue)
│ ────────────────────────────── ← 2023 (Red dashed)
└──Jan──Feb──Mar──Apr──May──Jun──→
8. Area Chart
Like Line Chart but fills the area below the line.
When to Use:
✅ Show volume over time
✅ Cumulative/Running total
✅ Compare proportions over time
✅ When you want to emphasize magnitude
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click AREA CHART icon
(line chart with filled area below)
Step 3: Drag fields:
X-axis → DimDate[MonthName]
Y-axis → [Sales YTD]
Legend → leave blank
Step 4: Format:
→ Format → Area
Transparency = 40%
Color = Blue
→ Format → Lines
Width = 2
Color = Dark Blue
→ Format → Title
Text = "Cumulative Sales 2024"
Step 5: For Stacked Area (multiple categories):
X-axis → DimDate[MonthName]
Y-axis → [Total Sales]
Legend → DimProduct[Category]
→ Shows Electronics vs Furniture area stacked
9. Pie Chart
Shows parts of a whole — circular chart divided into slices.
When to Use:
✅ Show percentage breakdown
✅ Maximum 5-6 categories only
✅ When proportions matter more than values
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click PIE CHART icon
Step 3: Drag fields:
Legend → DimProduct[Category]
Values → [Total Sales]
Step 4: Format:
→ Format → Slices
Electronics → Blue
Furniture → Orange
→ Format → Detail labels
Label contents = "Category, Percent"
Font size = 12
→ Format → Legend
Position = Right
→ Format → Title
Text = "Sales by Category"
Result:
Electronics
61.5%
╭──────────╮
╱ ██████████ ╲
│ ████████████│ Furniture
╲ ████████ ╱ 38.5%
╰──────────╯
⚠️Rule: Use Pie only with 2-5 categories
More than 5 → use Bar Chart instead
10. Donut Chart
Same as Pie but with hollow center — can show a number in the middle.
When to Use:
✅ Same as Pie Chart
✅ When you want total in center
✅ More modern looking than Pie
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click DONUT CHART icon
(circle with hole in middle)
Step 3: Drag fields:
Legend → DimRegion[RegionName]
Values → [Total Sales]
Step 4: Format:
→ Format → Slices
Inner radius = 50% (size of hole)
→ Format → Detail labels
Label contents = "Data value, Percent"
→ Format → Title
Text = "Sales by Region"
Result:
North 28%
╭──────────╮
╱ ██ ████ ╲ East 22%
│ █ 3.4M █ │
╲ ████ ██ ╱ West 25%
╰──────────╯
South 25%
11. Treemap
Shows hierarchical data as nested rectangles — size = value.
When to Use:
✅ Show part-to-whole with hierarchy
✅ Category → Subcategory breakdown
✅ When you have many categories
✅ Space-efficient comparison
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click TREEMAP icon
(nested rectangles icon)
Step 3: Drag fields:
Category → DimProduct[Category]
Details → DimProduct[ProductName]
Values → [Total Sales]
Step 4: Format:
→ Format → Data labels → ON
Font size = 11
→ Format → Category labels → ON
→ Format → Title
Text = "Sales by Product Hierarchy"
Result:
┌─────────────────────┬──────────────────┐
│ Electronics │
│ ┌──────────┬──────┬──────┬───────┐ │
│ │ 4K Mon. │Laptop│Hdphn.│ Keyb. │ │
│ │ 705,000 │598,500│252K │ 181K │ │
│ └──────────┴──────┴──────┴───────┘ │
├─────────────────────┬──────────────────┤
│ Furniture │ │
│ ┌────────┬────────┐ │ │
│ │ Gaming │Standing│ │ │
│ │ Chair │ Desk │ │ │
│ └────────┴────────┘ │ │
└─────────────────────┴──────────────────┘
MODULE 9: ADVANCED VISUALIZATIONS
1. Scatter Chart
Shows relationship/correlation between two measures.
When to Use:
✅ Find correlation between 2 measures
✅ Identify outliers
✅ Compare performance of many items
✅ Bubble = 3rd dimension
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click SCATTER CHART icon
Step 3: Drag fields:
X-axis → [Total Sales]
Y-axis → [Total Profit]
Values → DimProduct[ProductName]
(each dot = one product)
Size → [Total Orders]
(dot size = number of orders)
Legend → DimProduct[Category]
(color by category)
Step 4: Format:
→ Format → Bubbles
Min size = 5, Max size = 20
→ Format → Data labels → ON
→ Format → Title
Text = "Sales vs Profit by Product"
Step 5: Add Zoom Slider:
→ Format → Zoom slider → ON
→ Lets user zoom into crowded areas
Result:
Profit
│ •4K Monitor
│ •Laptop Pro
│ •Gaming Chair
│ •Office Chair •Headphones
└────────────────────────────→ Sales
Each dot = product
Dot size = number of orders
Color = category
2. Funnel Chart
Shows stages of a process — each stage gets smaller.
When to Use:
✅ Sales pipeline stages
✅ Conversion rates
✅ Process completion rates
✅ Customer journey stages
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click FUNNEL CHART icon
Step 3: For our dataset, create stage data:
→ MODELING → New Table
→ Type:
SalesFunnel =
DATATABLE(
"Stage", STRING,
"Count", INTEGER,
"Order", INTEGER,
{"Leads", 500, 1},
{"Qualified", 300, 2},
{"Proposals Sent", 150, 3},
{"Negotiation", 80, 4},
{"Orders Won", 60, 5}
Step 4: Drag fields:
Category → SalesFunnel[Stage]
Values → SalesFunnel[Count]
Step 5: Format:
→ Format → Data labels → ON
Label contents = "Data value, Percent of first"
→ Format → Title
Text = "Sales Funnel 2024"
Result:
Leads ████████████████████ 500 100%
Qualified ████████████ 300 60%
Proposals ██████ 150 30%
Negotiation ████ 80 16%
Orders Won ███ 60 12%
3. Waterfall Chart
Shows how a value builds up or breaks down — with positive/negative changes.
When to Use:
✅ Show profit/loss breakdown
✅ Budget vs actual variance
✅ Revenue bridge analysis
✅ Month-over-month change explanation
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click WATERFALL CHART icon
Step 3: Drag fields:
Category → DimDate[MonthName]
Y-axis → [Total Sales]
Step 4: Breakdown by Category:
Breakdown → DimProduct[Category]
(shows what drove increase/decrease)
Step 5: Format:
→ Format → Sentiment colors
Increase = Green
Decrease = Red
Total = Dark Blue
→ Format → Data labels → ON
→ Format → Title
Text = "Monthly Sales Waterfall"
Result:
Sales
│ ↑287K ↑383K
│ ████ ↓258K ████ ↑382K
│ ████ ████ ████ ████
│ Total
│ ████
└──Jan───Feb───Mar───Apr──→
Green = increase, Red = decrease
4. Gauge Chart
Shows a single value against a target — like a speedometer.
When to Use:
✅ Show progress toward target
✅ KPI dashboards
✅ Performance metrics
✅ When there is a min, current, max value
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click GAUGE icon
(semicircle/speedometer icon)
Step 3: Drag fields:
Value → [Total Sales]
Minimum → (leave blank = 0)
Maximum → type 5000000 (target max)
Target → create this measure:
Sales Target = 4000000
Step 4: Create Target Measure:
New Measure:
Sales Target = 4000000
Step 5: Drag Sales Target to "Target value"
Step 6: Format:
→ Format → Gauge axis
Min = 0
Max = 5,000,000
Target = 4,000,000
→ Format → Colors
Fill = Blue (progress)
Target = Red line
→ Format → Data labels → ON
→ Format → Title
Text = "Sales vs Target"
Result:
╭──────────────╮
╱ ████████░░░░ ╲
│ ████████░░░░░░ │
╲ ↑ 3.4M ↑4M ╱
╰──────────────╯
Current Target
3,415,100 4,000,000
5. KPI Visual
Shows current value, target, and trend in one compact visual.
When to Use:
✅ Executive dashboards
✅ Show achievement vs target
✅ With trend indicator (up/down arrow)
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click KPI icon
(looks like upward arrow with bars)
Step 3: Drag fields:
Value → [Total Sales]
Trend axis → DimDate[MonthName]
Target goals → [Sales Target]
(create: Sales Target = 4000000)
Step 4: Format:
→ Format → Trend axis → ON
→ Format → Goals
Direction = High is good
→ Format → Color coding
Good = Green
Bad = Red
→ Format → Title
Text = "Sales KPI"
Result:
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ Sales KPI │
│ 3,415,100 ↑ │
│ ▼ -14.6% vs target (4M) │
│ ___/\/\/\___/\/\__ │
│ Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun │
└─────────────────────────────┘
6. Map Visual
Shows data on a geographic map with bubbles.
When to Use:
✅ Sales by city/state/country
✅ Geographic distribution
✅ Location-based analysis
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click MAP icon (bubble map)
Step 3: Drag fields:
Location → DimCustomer[City]
Size → [Total Sales]
(bigger bubble = more sales)
Color → DimRegion[Zone]
(color by zone)
Tooltips → [Total Orders]
[Total Profit]
Step 4: Enable Map:
If map shows blank:
→ File → Options → Security
→ Check "Use Map and Filled Map visuals"
→ Restart Power BI
Step 5: Format:
→ Format → Bubbles
Min size = 10
Max size = 50
→ Format → Map styles
Theme = Grayscale (professional look)
→ Format → Title
Text = "Sales by City"
Result:
Map of India with bubbles:
- Delhi (large blue bubble)
- Mumbai (large orange bubble)
- Bangalore (medium bubble)
- Chennai (medium bubble)
- Hyderabad (small bubble)
7. Filled Map
Colors entire regions based on values — like a heat map.
When to Use:
✅ State/Country level comparison
✅ Heat map by geography
✅ Regional performance
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click FILLED MAP icon
(map with filled colors)
Step 3: Drag fields:
Location → DimCustomer[State]
Color → [Total Sales]
(darker = higher sales)
Tooltips → [Total Orders]
Step 4: Format:
→ Format → Data colors
Minimum = Light Blue
Maximum = Dark Blue
→ Format → Map styles
Theme = Light
→ Format → Title
Text = "Sales Heat Map by State"
Result:
India map where:
Maharashtra → Dark Blue (highest sales)
Delhi → Medium Blue
Karnataka → Light Blue
Others → Very light
8. Ribbon Chart
Shows ranking changes over time — ribbons show how rank changes.
When to Use:
✅ Show how product rankings change month to month
✅ Competitive ranking over time
✅ Category share over time
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click RIBBON CHART icon
(looks like twisted ribbons)
Step 3: Drag fields:
X-axis → DimDate[MonthName]
Y-axis → [Total Sales]
Legend → DimProduct[Category]
Step 4: Format:
→ Format → Ribbons
Transparency = 30%
→ Format → Data labels → ON
→ Format → Title
Text = "Sales Rank by Category Over Time"
Result:
Sales │ Electronics ╮ ╭─────────────╮
│ ╭──────────╯ │ │
│ │Furniture ╰─────────────╯
└──Jan──Feb──Mar──Apr──May──Jun→
Ribbons show which category leads each month
9. Decomposition Tree
Drills down automatically to find what's driving a number.
When to Use:
✅ Root cause analysis
✅ Find what's driving high/low sales
✅ Explore data dynamically
✅ AI-powered split suggestion
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click DECOMPOSITION TREE icon
(looks like branching tree)
Step 3: Drag fields:
Analyze → [Total Sales]
Explain by:
→ DimProduct[Category]
→ DimProduct[SubCategory]
→ DimProduct[ProductName]
→ DimRegion[RegionName]
→ DimCustomer[Segment]
→ DimDate[QuarterName]
Step 4: Use AI Splits:
→ Click "+" button on tree
→ Select "High value" (AI finds biggest driver)
→ OR select specific field to drill into
Step 5: Example interaction:
Total Sales: 3,415,100
↳ By Category:
Electronics: 2,098,750
↳ By Product:
4K Monitor: 705,000
↳ By Region:
North India: 200,000
West India: 180,000
Furniture: 1,316,350
Step 6: Format:
→ Format → Tree
Level colors = different per level
→ Format → Title
Text = "Sales Decomposition"
10. Key Influencers
AI visual that finds what factors influence a metric up or down.
When to Use:
✅ Find what drives high sales
✅ Understand what influences profit
✅ Data-driven insight discovery
✅ Segment analysis
Steps to Create:
Step 1: Click blank canvas
Step 2: Click KEY INFLUENCERS icon
(looks like a person with arrows)
Step 3: Drag fields:
Analyze → FactSales[Profit]
(What influences Profit?)
Explain by:
→ DimProduct[Category]
→ DimProduct[ProductName]
→ DimRegion[RegionName]
→ DimCustomer[Segment]
→ FactSales[Quantity]
→ FactSales[Discount]
Step 4: Power BI AI analyzes automatically
Shows:
"Profit is likely higher when:"
→ Category = Electronics (2.3x more)
→ Region = North India (1.8x more)
→ Discount < 5% (1.5x more)
Step 5: Switch tabs:
→ "Key influencers" tab = what drives change
→ "Top segments" tab = which groups perform best
Step 6: Format:
→ Format → Analysis
Expand → ON (show more detail)
11. Custom Visuals (AppSource)
Extra visuals not included by default — downloaded from Microsoft AppSource.
When to Use:
✅ When built-in visuals don't meet your need
✅ Special chart types (bullet chart, gantt, etc.)
✅ Advanced styling needs
How to Add Custom Visuals:
METHOD 1 — From AppSource (Online):
Step 1: In Visualizations panel
Step 2: Click "..." (3 dots) at bottom
Step 3: Click "Get more visuals"
Step 4: AppSource store opens in browser
Step 5: Search for visual you want:
→ "Bullet Chart"
→ "Word Cloud"
→ "Gantt Chart"
→ "Sankey Chart"
→ "Infographic Designer"
→ "Chiclet Slicer"
Step 6: Click "Add"
Step 7: Visual appears in Visualizations panel
Step 8: Use like any other visual ✅
METHOD 2 — From File (.pbiviz):
Step 1: Download .pbiviz file from AppSource
Step 2: Visualizations panel → "..."
Step 3: "Import a visual from a file"
Step 4: Select downloaded .pbiviz file
Step 5: Visual added to panel ✅
Most Useful Custom Visuals for Analysts:
Visual Name Use Case
Word Cloud Show frequent words/categories
Bullet Chart Show actual vs target cleanly
Gantt Chart Project timeline
Sankey Chart Show flow between categories
Chiclet Slicer Better-looking slicer buttons
Timeline Slicer Date range slicer
Card with States KPI card with color states
HTML Content Show HTML formatted content
Example — Word Cloud:
Step 1: Add Word Cloud from AppSource
Step 2: Drag fields:
Category → DimProduct[ProductName]
Values → [Total Sales]
Step 3: Products with higher sales
appear BIGGER in the cloud ✅
📊 Which Visual to Use — Quick Guide
Situation Best Visual
Show one big number Card
Show multiple KPIs Multi Row Card
Compare categories Bar / Column Chart
Situation Best Visual
Show trend over time Line Chart
Show volume over time Area Chart
Show parts of whole (< 5 cat.) Donut / Pie
Show parts of whole (hierarchy) Treemap
Show raw data rows Table
Show cross-tab summary Matrix
Show correlation Scatter Chart
Show process stages Funnel
Show up/down changes Waterfall
Show progress to target Gauge / KPI
Show data on map (bubbles) Map
Show data on map (colors) Filled Map
Show ranking changes Ribbon Chart
Explore data drivers Decomposition Tree
Find what influences a metric Key Influencers