Tableau: Which Chart/Graph?

heat maps

chart used to compare categorical data using color, best to present data dates with lots of categories

bar chart

chart used to compare data across categories; best suited for data that can be split into several groups

maps

chart used to display geocoded data, show how location correlates with trends

gannt chart

chart used to display project schedules, illustrate start and finish dates of steps in a process, show changes in activity over time

highlight table

chart used to draw attention to detailed information, using color to grab viewer's attention while still presenting precise figures

scatterplot

chart used to investigate the relationship between different variables, to see if one variable is a good predictor of another

bullet chart

chart used to quickly compare metrics to goals, "how are we doing"

treemap

chart used to show data with multiple levels of categorization, when a dataset can be broken down in many different ways, nicely embedded inside of a bar chart

candlestick chart

chart used to show financial data; meant specifically for financial analysis; showing metrics about a financial instrument over time

box and whisker plot

chart used to show the distribution of a data set, see how data is skewed and identify outliers

bubble chart

chart used to show the relationship between 3 or more measures

histogram

chart used to understand distribution of your data

line chart

chart used to view trends in data over time

pie chart

chart used well alongside other charts, but not recommended to be used alone

maps

what are bar charts nicely paired with?

the number of wedges

what should you limit when using a pie chart?