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What visualization should I use?

With so many charts and visualizations available, it is important to select the right one. Find out what chart to use in Paula's article below.
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A good visualization is one where the user, without any prior knowledge, can quickly understand the story it is telling. Get the visualizations wrong and the user will not be able to understand the report. And they might miss important information.

Different types of information and data need different types of charts. You can use the lists below to help you select the right type of chart for the right type of data or story.

Comparisons: Clustered Bar/Column Charts, Stacked and 100% stacked Bar/Column Charts, gauges, radar charts, and bubble charts.

Change over time: Line charts, sparklines, area and stacked area charts, Gantt charts, Waterfall charts, and line with column combination charts.

Subsets of Data: Pie charts, donut charts, treemaps, stacked area charts, sunbursts, pyramid 3D, waterfall charts, stacked and 100% stacked bar and column charts.

Relationships and Flow: Funnel charts, chord, and network navigator.

Rankings: Clustered Bar/Column charts, multirow cards, tables, and matrixes.

Location-based: Maps, ArcGIS Maps, filled maps, and shape maps Correlation: Scatter charts, Line and clustered column charts, stacked column charts, table heatmaps

© paula guilfoyle
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Introduction to Excel Charts for Data Visualisation

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