Non-data science individuals have an easier time understanding complex data, finding patterns, identifying trends, and telling a story when they use charts, maps, and infographics. It's important to use chart best practices such as ensuring the numbers add up, scaling charts accordingly, and knowing what information to convey.
Four main chart types provide context to data. Comparison charts are useful when comparing one or more datasets and comparing items or showing differences over time. Relationship charts show a connection or correlation between variables. Composition charts show parts of a whole and change over time. Distribution charts show the distribution of variables over time to identify outliers and trends. Take a look at which charts can be combined to produce useful analytics.
Choosing the Right Type of Chart
Determining which chart type is right for your data depends on how many variables need to be shown, how many data points you want to display, and how you want to scale the axis. Different types of charts are better suited for conveying different types of data. Line, bar, and column charts show change over time, pie charts show parts of a whole, and scatter plots and treemaps are ideal when visualizing a large amount of data.
Line charts are useful to show relationships within a dataset and can be used for a variety of categories such as daily visitor numbers or changes in stock prices. Pie charts show parts of a whole by displaying numbers in percentages. Bar charts are a useful way to avoid clutter when you have a long data label or more than 10 items to compare. Area charts, like line charts, can show change over time, overall trends, and continuity across a dataset.
Combination Charts Explained
A combination chart compares data points in multiple categories over some time by combining two or three types of charts. The most common combo chart is a bar chart and a line chart, though sometimes you can include an area chart or dot chart. Combo charts are used to visualize differences between sets of data so that it's easier to see one set of information in relation to other data.
There are a few common types of combination charts. Bar and line combo charts use a horizontal bar graph combined with a vertical line diagram to give a source of information, provide insights, and show relationships. Column and line combo charts use vertical bars and a horizontal line to show categorical data and the distribution and trend of data over time. Area, column, and line combo charts are used to show and compare data sets simply and easily.
Advantages of Combination Charts
There are benefits of combination charts. This type of chart shows relationships and patterns, which means it also shows outliers. This is beneficial when identifying problems or positives that can determine if there are changes to be made or issues to be resolved. Combination charts can show relationships between data sets, making them the best way to easily communicate influences and interactions.
There are some best practices to keep in mind to ensure your combination chart is accurate, easy to read, and insightful. Make sure the layers are arranged so that all information is visible. Keep the chart simple to avoid including an excessive amount of information that's difficult to read. Be sure to correctly label the legends and that the axes are well-labeled to show what's being measured and displayed.
