Designing effective charts
What makes a chart effective?
Choosing the right data and using the right chart type are a good start. Adding descriptive text can make a chart easier to read and understand. Colors and backgrounds can also provide a consistent and professional appearance.
Make the right choice
Choose the chart type that works best for your data.
Minimize extraneous words and chart parts. Use the chart to convey only the most important information.
Often, less is more. Be selective. Present the important data.
Use words
Text makes a chart easier to read and understand. Here are some places where you can use text:
- Chart title. You can summarize what the chart is showing, or spark interest in the data.
- Chart note. Add a note when you want to include more information or details.
- Axis titles.
Designing bar charts
Bar charts come as three types:
- Vertical bar charts. Good for comparing individual values over time.
- Horizontal bar charts. Best for comparing values at a single point in time.
- Stacked bar charts.Useful for comparing totals as well as individual values for different time periods or categories of data.
Designing area charts
Area charts emphasize trends and totals over time.
- To compare values as percentages of the whole, change the y-axis scale to 100%.
Designing line charts
Line charts trace the changes in sets of data over time. Line charts are the best choice when there are a lot of data points.
- Use three or fewer lines, especially if the lines cross.
- Use markers to emphasize individual data points.
Designing pie charts
Pie charts show the relationship of parts to the whole.
- Use six or fewer slices. Eliminate or combine the remaining small slices. See
- Emphasize a slice by exploding it, or explode all the slices for a dramatic visual effect.
- Display percent values for the slices when specific data is important.
- Change the color or pattern of a specific slice to call attention to it.
- Show pie titles and totals to help explain the contents of your chart.
For more information about designing pie charts, see x.
Designing mixed charts
Mixed charts combine parts from a line chart, a bar chart, or an area chart to show a comparison between different types of data.
Designing radar charts
Radar charts compare data series that consist of several different variables.
- Use three or fewer lines per chart, especially if the lines cross. If you have more data sets, break the data into two charts on the same page.
- Change the axis scales to exaggerate differences between data series.