# Data Visualization Choose By Data Relationship

> Sub-skill of data-visualization: Choose by Data Relationship (+1).

- Skill: `vamseeachanta/data-visualization-choose-by-data-relationship` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add vamseeachanta/data-visualization-choose-by-data-relationship`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/vamseeachanta/data-visualization-choose-by-data-relationship/raw
- Safety review: PASS (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Data & Analytics
- Author: vamseeachanta (https://skillmd.com/u/vamseeachanta)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/vamseeachanta/data-visualization-choose-by-data-relationship

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# Choose by Data Relationship (+1)

## Choose by Data Relationship


| What You're Showing | Best Chart | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| **Trend over time** | Line chart | Area chart (if showing cumulative or composition) |
| **Comparison across categories** | Vertical bar chart | Horizontal bar (many categories), lollipop chart |
| **Ranking** | Horizontal bar chart | Dot plot, slope chart (comparing two periods) |
| **Part-to-whole composition** | Stacked bar chart | Treemap (hierarchical), waffle chart |
| **Composition over time** | Stacked area chart | 100% stacked bar (for proportion focus) |
| **Distribution** | Histogram | Box plot (comparing groups), violin plot, strip plot |
| **Correlation (2 variables)** | Scatter plot | Bubble chart (add 3rd variable as size) |
| **Correlation (many variables)** | Heatmap (correlation matrix) | Pair plot |
| **Geographic patterns** | Choropleth map | Bubble map, hex map |
| **Flow / process** | Sankey diagram | Funnel chart (sequential stages) |
| **Relationship network** | Network graph | Chord diagram |
| **Performance vs. target** | Bullet chart | Gauge (single KPI only) |
| **Multiple KPIs at once** | Small multiples | Dashboard with separate charts |


## When NOT to Use Certain Charts


- **Pie charts**: Avoid unless <6 categories and exact proportions matter less than rough comparison. Humans are bad at comparing angles. Use bar charts instead.
- **3D charts**: Never. They distort perception and add no information.
- **Dual-axis charts**: Use cautiously. They can mislead by implying correlation. Clearly label both axes if used.
- **Stacked bar (many categories)**: Hard to compare middle segments. Use small multiples or grouped bars instead.
- **Donut charts**: Slightly better than pie charts but same fundamental issues. Use for single KPI display at most.