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How to Choose the Most Appropriate Chart?
Line chart, bar chart, pie chart … they tell different stories
In this information rich age, data visualizations are designed to make the knowledge transfer between deliverers and receivers easier. Therefore, it is crucial for the dashboard creators to know which chart is aligned with the key delivery objectives. On the other hand, having a basic understanding of the underlying meaning of each chart also helps the audience to interpret dashboards effectively. In this article, I introduced a way that may help to better understand some common charts and graphs, e.g. scatter plot, map, pie graph and stacked bar chart etc, by categorising them into four main types: distribution, comparison, composition and correlation. It doesn’t mean that it is a clear-cut solution or a rigid boundary that limits us to only use a chart in one certain way. Rather, it is a conclusion drawn from my experience regarding what is the main objective each chart is able to communicate. Moreover, designing effective dashboards is beyond choosing appropriate charts. Read more dashboard design principles in this article.
1. Distribution
This type of data visualization helps to interpret univariate analysis result in the early analytical stage. Simply put, it shows where data points are dense and where…
