dragoon0x Chart Selection
Choosing the Right Chart
| Data Relationship | Best Chart |
|---|---|
| Change over time | Line chart, area chart |
| Comparison | Bar chart (horizontal for many categories) |
| Part of whole | Pie/donut (max 5 slices), stacked bar |
| Distribution | Histogram, box plot |
| Correlation | Scatter plot |
| Geographic | Map (choropleth, point map) |
| Flow/process | Sankey diagram, funnel |
| Hierarchy | Treemap, sunburst |
Chart Anatomy
- Title: States the insight, not the data ('Revenue grew 40% in Q3' not 'Revenue Q1-Q4')
- Axes: Labeled with units, starting at zero for bars (not for lines)
- Legend: Only when multiple series, positioned near the data
- Gridlines: Minimal, light gray, horizontal only
- Annotations: Call out key points directly on the chart
Common Mistakes
- Pie charts with more than 5 slices (unreadable)
- 3D charts (distort perception)
- Dual Y-axes (confusing, usually misleading)
- Truncated Y-axis on bar charts (exaggerates differences)
- Too many colors (use one hue with variations for most charts)
- Missing context (what's the benchmark? trend? target?)