Personal Computers: Ch 03
XY (scatter) or Bubble chart
- displays relationships among numeric values in two or more data series - a category axis is NOT included -- both horizontal and vertical axes are value axes - a bubble chart plots x, y, and z (size) values
area chart
- displays the magnitude of change over time and shows the rate of change - a variation of a stacked line chart
Hierarchy chart: tree-map chart
- each category (branch) is represented as a rectangle - can compare relative sizes of each branch
data marker
- element that represents individual values - the marker can be a bar, a column, a slice, a point on a line or other visual element
data visualization
- graphic representation of the data
column chart
- illustrates data changes over a period of time or shows comparisons among items - useful for comparing data sets that are split into categories - also useful for showing categories over time where each column represents a unit of time
sparklines
- individual graphic within a single cell - represents a series of data values - as the underlying data series is updated, the sparklines update immediately - helpful in visualizing data patterns
histogram chart
- like a column or bar chart except each column represents a range of values instead of a specific data series - each column is called a bin - the range of values in a bin is called the class interval - can be used to visualized frequency -- how many times a value appears within the range represented on the x axis
sparkline types
- line - column - win/loss > wins (increases) > losses (decreases) - wins and losses are represented with different colors
Importance of chart design
- presenting data graphically with charts helps users identify trends, make comparisons, and recognize patterns in the data
waterfall chart
- shows a running total as values are added or subtracted - useful for understanding how a value is affected by a series of positive and negative values - columns are color coded to easily differentiate between positive and negative numbers - the initial and the final value columns often start on the horizontal axis, while the intermediate values are floating columns - also called bridge charts
chart sheet
- special type of worksheet - chart displayed on its own sheet in the workbook - no rows, columns, or cells - linked to data on another worksheet - charts on chart sheets cannot be resized
switch row and column data
- switch the data series represented by the X and Y axis - on the chart design tab, click the switch row/column button
chart design is important to make sure that:
- the chart conveys an accurate and clear message - the chart should have correct data the chart should convey the message that you want it to convey - the audience can understand the chart - the chart is visually appealing
initial decisions that must be made about the chart design
- the source data (values and labels to be used in chart) - the type of chart - the location of the chart (as an object within a worksheet or on a separate worksheet (Chart Sheet)) - the general layout and style
formatting a chart axis
- to make it easier to understand a chart, you may need to change: > upper and/or lower on an axis > the scale used > the order of values > where tick marks and labels are placed > etc.
"Storytelling with Data" by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic
- understand the context - who are you communicating to? - what do you want your audience to know? - how can you use data to make your point - choose an effective visual - eliminate clutter - focus attention - tell a story - communicate to your audience
common charting problems
- users do not understand the content - too much information - chart is cluttered - incorrect chart type - chart is difficult to read - misleading or incorrect information or labeling
Hierarchy chart: sunburst chart
- visualizes data as a concentric series of rings with the top-level categories as segments of the inner ring - can show more hierarchy levels than a tree-map
Designing a chart
1. apply a Quick layout - chart layout 2. apply a chart style - chart style
Which of the following statements regarding charts is true? A) If you need to change which data series is plotted on the x- axis and which is plotted on the y-axis, you must delete the chart and create a new one. B) Values can only be displayed on one vertical axis. C) A trendline is not a chart element. D) None of the above statements is true.
D) none of the above statements is true
chart area
background for the chart; can be filled with a color, gradient, or pattern
chart floor
base or bottom for a 3D chart
chart styled button
button next to chart with paintbrush on it
chart formatting options: fill
fill the background of a component with a color, picture or pattern
chart formatting options: number
format the data as currency, date, time, and so on
error bars
shows margins of error and standard deviations on all data points or data markers
tick mark
small line or marker on an axis to guide in reading values
formatting sparklines
- can apply a sparkline quick style - when sparklines are created, the cells containing the sparklines are grouped together so formatting changes affect them all - to format a single sparkline, that sparkline must be ungrouped (in the sparklines design tab)
removing sparklines
- cannot be deleted by selecting the cells and pressing the delete button - the remove sparklines, right click their cell range and select sparklines --> clear selected sparklines from its context menu - if a grouped collection of sparklines is to be removed, select the Clear Selected Sparkline Groups option
showing and hiding chart elements
- chart elements can be added, removed, and changed - click Add Chart Element button to remove or change chart element
formatting chart elements
- chart elements can be formatted by selecting the element and clicking Format Selection in Current Selection group of Format tab - can also right-click on selected chart element - Ex: a Shape Fill can be applied to the chart background
textual chart enhancements
- chart title - axes titles - legend - data labels - the addition of textual information helps the audience understand the meaning of your chart - use descriptions and labels to help users understand the chart, use a legend if necessary
bar chart
- displays comparisons among individual items or values at a specific period of time - compares data horizontally - useful for working with categorical data - can show progress or growth
line chart
- displays in trend over time, emphasizing the rate of change - shows changes within a data series - useful for exploring how data in a business changes over time
pie chart
- uses one data series to display each value as a percentage of the whole - depicts the relationships of the parts to the whole
Hierarchy charts
- uses to visualize data that are organized into categories (branches) and related subcategories
Combination chart
- uses two types of charts to graph values that are widely different - useful when data that has different scales
adding markers to sparklines
- visual representations of data points on a sparkline - can help identify high points, low points, first points, last points and/or negative points - click the markers check box to add data point markers for every data point
waterfall chart: if your chart includes a final data point that represents a total:
1. click any data point to select the data series 2. then double-click the data point you want to set as a total 3. In the Format Data Point task pane, click the Set as total check box
to add a secondary axis on a combination chart:
1. on the Chart Tools Design tab, in the Type group, click the Change Charge Type button 2. click the Secondary Axis check box next to the series that you want to plot along the secondary axis
chart style
a preset combination of colors and effects for a chart, its background, and its elements
chart layout
a set of elements and the location of those elements
data point
a single value or piece of data from a data series
Pareto chart
a type of histogram chart where the columns are sorted from largest to smallest with a line chart on a secondary axis showing the cumulative total percentage
chart formatting options: 3-D format
add 3-D effects to component
chart formatting options: flow and soft edges
add glow and edge effects to a component
chart formatting options: shadow
add shadowing effect to a component
chart formatting options: alignment
align text direction for a component, such as left, top, vertical, or horiztontal
box and whisker plot
another way to represent the range of values for each category based on dividing the values in quartiles
the green plus sign button next to a chart is:
chart elements button
data table
displays the values that are presented in the chart in a grid at the bottom of the chart
bin
each column in a histogram
legend
element that explains symbols, textures, or colors used to differentiate data series
how to change the number of bins in a histogram:
go to axis options to change the number of bins
plot area
graphically displays data
data series
group of related values that are in the same column or row and translate into the columns, lines, pie slices, and other markers
filtering chart data
hide and show data in a chart without changing the source data
axis
horizontal or vertical boundary that identifies what is plotted
gridline
horizontal or vertical line that extends across the plot area
class interval
in a histogram, the range of values in a bin
trendline
line or curve that displays average in the data and can be used to forecast future averages
axis title
optional description for the categories or values
chart title
optional description or name for the chart
data label
optional; displays values with the marker for each data series; automatically update
chart filters button
right next to the chart, 3rd button down, below paintbrush
chart formatting options: border color
set the color of the border for a component
chart formatting options: border styles
set the thickness and type of border for a component
chart formatting options: limited to pie charts
the ability to explode a slice or slices
chart wall
vertical background for a 3D chart
