Make the First Choice
| Question or detail | Chart | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Which category is largest? | Bar Chart | One measure, one common unit, and a zero baseline. |
| How do series compare within each category? | Grouped Bar Chart | A complete value for each category and series, measured in the same units. |
| How large is the gap between two values? | Dumbbell Chart | Two comparable endpoints per category, with each pair on its own row. |
| Which categories changed relative order? | Slope Chart | Two observations on matching vertical scales; crossing segments show an order change. |
| How does each actual compare with its target? | Bullet Chart | Actuals, targets, and explicit range boundaries in common units. |
| Which changes explain an opening and closing balance? | Waterfall Chart | An opening amount and signed changes; subtotal and total rows are calculated. |
| How many members of one cohort reach each stage? | Funnel Chart | Ordered non-increasing counts, with clear overall and previous-stage denominators. |
| How do two profiles differ? | Radar Chart | Comparable measures, consistent axis order, and an explanation of normalization. |
| How much variation is inside each group? | Box Plot | Compatible distribution summaries, rather than only totals. |
WORKED EXAMPLE / ILLUSTRATIVE DATA
Compare Orders Across Three Channels
Suppose a fictional shop receives the following orders during one week. A bar chart makes the channel totals easy to compare. The labels identify separate groups; the position of a channel along the axis has no numeric meaning.
| Channel | Orders |
|---|---|
| Website | 120 |
| Marketplace | 80 |
| Store | 50 |
The website received 40 more orders than the marketplace. Start the bars at zero so their lengths represent those totals. If you need delivery speed as well, use another chart with its own units.
Choose the Kind of Comparison First
Grouped bars compare full magnitudes on a common baseline. Dumbbells emphasize the gap between two endpoints and keep categories on separate rows. A Slope Chart makes changes in relative order visible, but overlapping pairs can hide one another. Neither paired chart reveals what happened between its two observations.
Use Bullet when a target and reference bands are part of the question. Define the thresholds and whether a higher value is preferable. The ChartTypes example uses one common scale, so do not mix unrelated units across its rows.
Separate Balances From Cohorts
Waterfall adds signed changes to an opening balance. A calculated total returns to the baseline without adding that balance again. This makes it useful for explaining how additions and removals produce an ending amount.
Funnel counts members of the same cohort at successive stages. A member may appear at several stages, so stage counts are not additive parts. Its editor requires counts to stay level or fall. Use ordinary bars for independent stage snapshots or a process that admits new entrants.
Keep the Unit of Comparison Consistent
A total, a percentage, and an average answer different questions. A large region can have more orders but a lower order rate per customer. Label the measure and period before deciding how to sort the bars.
For a ranked list, descending values are often useful. Preserve an inherent order for categories such as small, medium, and large. Horizontal bars leave more room for long category names.
Use Radar Charts for Profiles With Care
A profile might compare two products on six scores from 0 to 100. Keep the meaning of a higher score consistent, and explain any normalization. Mixing revenue in dollars with satisfaction out of five on one radial scale is not a meaningful comparison.
Read each axis separately. The polygon area changes when you reorder the axes, so it should not be treated as an overall score. For precise differences, a grouped bar chart or a table is often easier to read.
Before You Publish
- Check whether rows are independent categories, paired observations, balance changes, or stages of one cohort.
- Use a common period and unit.
- Choose a deliberate category order.
- Include values or a data table when exact differences matter.
Explore Working Examples
Open a chart to inspect its sample data and compare code in six libraries.