Type of
Chart What it shows When to use When to avoid
data
categorical, compare data across too many categories or data
Bar chart length of the bar representing the value
quantitative categories is continuous
continuous, x-axis usually represents time, y-axis logical order or relationship
Line chart trends over time
time-series represents the value between data points
too many categories or
categorical, represent data as slices of a circle, each
Donut chart proportion of each category comparing data across
proportional representing a percentage of the total
groups
relationship between vars is
continuous, relationship between 2
Scatter plot plot data points on a two-dimensional plane irrelevant or comparing
bivariate variables
multiple categories
continuous, the area between line and x-axis is filled, volume or magnitude of multiple data series with
Area chart
time-series emphasizing the volume or magnitude data over time overlapping areas
the size of bubbles is not
continuous,
Bubble chart size of bubbles representing the third variable relationship between 3 vars meaningful or comparing
multivariate
multiple categories
data is divided into equal intervals, the bar’s data is categorical or
continuous,
Histogram height represents the data frequency in each data distribution comparing data across
univariate
interval groups
relationship between vars is
use color scale to represent the value of each
continuous, relationship between 2 vars irrelevant, data is
Heatmap cell in a matrix. Darker = higher, lighter =
multivariate using color intensity categorical, comparing
lower
multiple categories
nested blocks to represent data, size of each hierarchical data or show
categorical, too many categories or data
Treemap block proportional to its value. Color can be the proportion of each
hierarchical is not hierarchical
used to indicate additional info category as a whole
circular layout with multiple axes, each performance or
only a few dimensions or
continuous, representing a dimension. Data points are characteristics of different
Radar chart comparing data across
multivariate plotted on each axis and connected to form a categories across multiple
groups
shape dimensions
interquartile range (IQR) and whiskers to
continuous, display the distribution of data is categorical or
Box plot show the range of data. Median = line inside
univariate data and detect outliers showing trends over time
the box, outliers = points
compare data across
Stacked bar categorical, length of each segment representing the
categories and composition too many categories
chart quantitative value. Total bar length = sum of all values
of each category
time-based, horizontal bars to show tasks, length of bar data is not time-based or
visualize project schedules,
Gantt chart project indicating the duration, x-axis shows time showing relationship
tasks, milestones
management and tasks can be grouped by category between vars
visualize cumulative effect no logical order or
Waterfall quantitative, vertical bars to show the value of each step,
of sequential data (financial, relationship between data
chart sequential bars connected to show the cumulative effect
inventory changes) points
series of decreasing trapezoids to represent
visualize stages of a process
Funnel categorical, each stage in a process, width of each no straightforward process
(sales, conversions, customer
chart process stages trapezoid proportional to the number of items or data is continuous
journeys)
at that stage
