EXCEL CHARTS

Vertical Bar Charts

■ Vertical bar charts are best for comparing means

or percentages between 2 to 7 different groups.
As you can see, each bar is separated by blank
space. For this reason, the x-axis should be
based on a scale that has mutually exclusive
categories (like multiple choice, or check box
questions). Categories that are based on a
continuous scale are better suited for a
histogram, but we will look at those later. As for
this chart, respondents were only able to select
one distinct option (daily, weekly…) making its
cross analysis with happiness perfect for a
vertical bar chart.
Horizontal Bar Charts

■ he horizontal bar chart is used when comparing

the mean or percentages of 8 or more different
groups. As with the vertical bar chart, the
horizontal bar chart should only be used when
comparing categories that are mutually
exclusive. In this chart, more than 7 categories
of candy were measured independently and are
being compared to one another.
Pie Charts

■ Pie charts are best used to illustrate a sample

break down in a single dimension. In other
words, it is best to use pie charts when you want
to show differences within groups based on one
variable. In the example above, we broke down
the sample group into different age groups in
order to show the significance of age on cotton
candy sales. It is important to remember that pie
charts should only be used with a group of
categories that combine to make up a whole.
Line Charts

■ Line charts are used to illustrate trends over

time. This is done most often to measure the
long term progression of sales, or any other
empirical statistic important to businesses or
organizations. It can also be used to compare
two different variables over time. In our
example, we see how the increased government
funding in healthy living correlates with candy
sales over the span of 5 years.
Scatter Plot

■ Scatter plots are used to depict how different

objects settle around a mean based on 2 to 3
different dimensions. This allows for quick and
easy comparisons between competing variables.
In our example chart above we can see how each
candy compares to one another based on its cost
to make and selling price. As a viewer, one can
quickly reference the difference between two
objects or its relation to the average, which is
shown as the large square on the chart.
Histogram

■ Like pie charts, histograms break down the sample

distribution in one dimension. The real difference
between histograms and other forms of charts is
that histograms are ideal for illustrating sample
distributions on dimensions measured with discrete
intervals. Unlike horizontal and vertical bar charts,
the x-axis is not divided into mutually exclusive
categories. In our example, the histogram indicates
how many respondents fall into each range of
candy consumed per week. The x-axis is a
continuous scale, while each bar falls under a range
of five units, or pieces of candy, on that scale.
Area Chart

■ Area charts are ideal for clearly illustrating the magnitude of change between two or
more data points. For example, you can give your audience a visual feel for the degree
of variance between the high and low price for each month.
■ Stacked area charts are frequently used to diagram changes of multiple variables across
time. Multiple lines can be drawn, for example, to track the population changes of
various states across time.
■ The area below each line can be colored a different hue to represent the state it signifies,
resulting in a graph that clearly represents population trends, while at the same time
displaying each state’s data in order from least to most populous.
Combination Chart

■ A combination chart is a visualization that

combines two or more chart types into a single
chart. Combination charts are an ideal choice
when you want to compare two categories of
each individual sub-item. They are commonly
used to create visualizations that show the
difference between targets versus actual results.
Bubble Chart

■ A bubble chart is a variation of an XY scatter plot.

Just like the XY scatter plot, bubble charts show the
correlation between two sets of data. The difference
is the addition of a third dimension that is
represented by the size of each bubble in the chart.
This third dimension is typically used to show the
relative impact of a quantitative data item. For
instance, in addition to showing employee
performance versus competency, you can have the
size of each bubble represent years of service,
allowing your audience to quickly get a sense of
how years of service may affect the relationship
between competency and performance.
Mosaic or Mekko Charts

■ Basic line, bar and pie charts are excellent tools for comparing one
or two variables in few categories, but what happens when you need
to compare multiple variables or multiple categories at the same
time? What if all those variables aren’t numeric even? A mosaic —
or Mekko — chart plot might be the better choice.

■ Perhaps a market analyst, for example, wants to compare more than

the size of various mobile-phone markets. What if, instead, he or
she needs to compare the size of the user bases, as well as the age
groups within each group? A mosaic chart would allow said
marketer to illustrate all the variables in a clear and straightforward
manner.

■ In the above example, one axis of the chart represents the categories
being compared — mobile phone manufacturers — while the other
axis lists various age ranges. The size and color of each cross-
section of the chart corresponds with the market segment it
represents.
Pyramids

■ Market segments are often divided based on age and gender, and a population
pyramid is an ideal visual representation of the two groups. The graph
classically takes on the shape of a pyramid when a population is healthy and
growing — the largest groups are the youngest, and each gender dwindles
somewhat equally as the population ages, leaving the smallest groups at the top
of the graph.

■ A population pyramid that veers away from its classic shape might indicate an
irregularity in a population during a particular period, such as a famine or an
economic boom that led to an increase in deaths or births.

■ Of course, population pyramids aren’t always used to compare populations by

age, and therefore don’t always take on the graph’s namesake shape. A
marketer, for example, might use the design to compare a population by
income, weight or IQ, in which the smallest groups will often be at both the top
and bottom. Regardless, the graph clearly depicts population trends, while it
compares the sizes of two related groups.
Surface Charts

■ This three dimensional chart lets you plot two series of

data points across several dimensions. It can be
complex to use, but with the right data points (two
series with a clear relationship), the visualization can
be quite impressive.
■ The 3-D version of the chart looks like a topographic
map, which makes sense because such a map is a plot
of altitude and distance from any given point.
Similarly, you can use this map to do things like chart
the magnitude of a disease outbreak against age and
time the person has been sick.
■ By plotting in this way, interesting patterns might arise
that you’d never notice, if you only plotted two points
along a simple X-Y axis.
Doughnut Charts

■ Doughnut charts are another complex visualization that lets

you graph one data series in a sort of pie chart format, but also
additional data series in “layers”, forming a multicolored
“doughnut”. This is best used when the two data series are
subcategories of a larger category of data.
■ A good example of this is the data sets used earlier in this
article, plotting male and female population per year.
■ As you can see, every series (the years 2010 through 2015)
contains nearly identical-sized segments, showing just how
slowly both populations change from year to year.  The value
of this graph really comes from having the right data and the
right goal that you want to achieve visually with that data.
Sunburst Charts

■ A type of multi-level pie chart, a sunburst chart is used to

illustrate hierarchical data using concentric circles. Each
ring of the “sunburst” represents a level in the hierarchy,
with the root node represented by the center circle, and the
hierarchy moving outward. While a sunburst chart can be
used to illustrate a familiar or company hierarchy, it can
also break data down by time periods, creating a historical
hierarchy.
■ Various branches of an organization can be represented by
designated hues, with different levels often taking on
varying shades of the same color family. Rings can also be
divided further to represent multiple divisions within the
same organizational level. In fact, a traditional, complex
color wheel, such as that used by paint stores, is a form of
sunburst chart.
Tips to make your Graph Perfect
■ Remove Disturbance From Your Chart’s Background
■ Move The Legend
■ Delete Legends With One Data Series
■ Add A Descriptive Title
■ Sort Your Data Before Charting
■ Don’t Make People Head Tilt
■ Clean Up Your Axes
■ Explore Other Themes
■ Create Branded Charts
■ Make Your Chart Title Dynamic
 Deciding Which Type of Chart to Use
 Compare values Show the composition of The distribution of your Analyzing trends in your The relationship between
something data data set value sets

Charts are perfect for Use this type of chart to Distribution charts help If you want to know more Relationship charts are
comparing one or many show how individual you to understand information about how a suited to showing how
value sets, and they can parts make up the whole outliers, the normal data set performed during one variable relates to
easily show the low and of something, such as the tendency, and the range a specific time period, one or numerous different
high values in the data device type used for of information in your there are specific chart variables. You could use
sets. mobile visitors to your values. types that do extremely this to show how
website or total sales well. something positively
broken down by sales effects, has no effect, or
rep. negatively effects another
variable.

Column Pie Scatter Plot Line Scatter Plot

Mekko Stacked Bar Mekko Dual-Axis Line Bubble
Bar Mekko Line Column Line
Pie Stacked Column Column
Line Area Bar
Scatter Plot Waterfall
Bullet