Chart Cheat Sheet
In addition to those listed below, Boxplot also uses more advanced visualization techniques than those listed here. With more advanced data analysis tools, you can create specialized charts (like for finance and scientific applications), add animations, include hover information, and code custom buttons to create even more useful data visusalizations.
General Visualization Rules
- Simpler is better.
- Choose intuitive colors. We dislike color associations (like water=blue) as much as the next person, but they make charts easier to read.
- For geographic data: various maps (bubble, choropleth, scatter, line, etc.) are usually best.
- 3D is never okay.
- Choose contrasting colors – don’t make the slices of a pie chart 7 slightly different shades of blue.
- Double y axes should generally be avoided.
Visualization Decision Table
* Bold text indicates these are best choices. Non-bold text indicates these might work depending on the situation.
* Hover over or click on underlined text for more information.
QUANTITATIVE
C
A
T
E
G
O
R
I
C
A
L
1
2
3
4+
0
Histogram
Boxplot
Heat Map
Strip plot
Bullet chart
Triangle plot
Gauge charts
Scatterplot
Trellis – line plots
Trellis -line plots
Table
Trellis – line plots
1
Bar chart
Pie Chart (including Pie/Bar of Pie)
Non-axis Bubble
Dot plot
Trellis – histograms
Trellis – strip plots
Trellis – gauge charts
Trellis – Bar Charts
Side-by-side boxplots
Line plot
Treemap
Bullet chart
Triangle plot
Scatterplot
Dot plot
Trellis – histograms
Scatterplot matrix
Table
2
Trellis – bar charts
Trellis – pie charts
Side-by-side Bar Chart
Heat map
Mosaic Plot
Dot plot
Table
Trellis – dot plots
100% Stacked Bar
Scatterplot matrix
Modified Bubble
3
Trellis – dot plots
Mosaic Plot
Table
Heat map
