Data
Visualization
Guide
For Impactful Storytelling
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DATA VISUALIZATION:
Who Doesn’t Love A Good Story? But Did You Know Even Boring
Rows And Columns Can Convey A Beautiful Story?
That's where the magic of data visualization comes into play.
Data visualization is the process of converting raw information (text, numbers,
or symbols) into a graphical format.
Raw Data Dashboard
Data visualization aids in conveying insights clearly to stakeholders. Therefore,
selecting the right visual is crucial in conveying the correct insights.
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WHAT IS EFFECTIVE VISUALIZATION,
AND WHY DO WE NEED IT?
“ Why can't we use
”
the same chart
every time?
Let's understand through a simple analogy:
Consider the following questions:
When you go to school, what type of dress do you wear?
When you go to a party, what type of dress do you wear?
When you go to the temple, what type of dress do you wear?
The type of dress you wear changes according to the occasion, right? Similarly,
based on the insights we want to display, the visuals we use vary.
The practice of using appropriate visuals to convey insights easily and
accurately to stakeholders is called effective visualization.
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KEY CHARTS IN DATA VISUALIZATION AND
THEIR FUNCTIONS:
Bar and Column:
A bar chart represents categorical data with rectangular bars, their heights
being proportional to the values displayed.
Best for: Comparing values across different categories or groups.
Types of Bar charts:
Vertical / Column Chart:
Use vertical charts for small data labels.
100
75
50
25
0
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
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Horizontal / Bar Chart:
Use horizontal charts to fit long data labels.
Saturday
Friday
Thursday
Wednesday
Tuesday
Monday
0 25 50 75 100
Clustered Column Chart:
Used to compare multiple data series within the same category.
100 Profit
Discount
75
50
25
0
P1 P2 P3
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Clustered Bar Chart:
Similar to a clustered bar chart, it is particularly effective for handling long data
labels that require more horizontal space.
Profit
Discount
Product 1
Product 2
Product 3
0 25 50 75 100
Stacked Column Chart:
Used to show total values and their individual breakdowns simultaneously.
100
Product A
Product B
75
50
25
0
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
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Stacked Bar Chart:
Similar to a stacked bar chart, it is particularly effective for handling long data
labels that require more horizontal space.
Product A
Quarter 1
Product B
Quarter 2
Quarter 3
Quarter 4
0 25 50 75 100
Pie Chart:
A pie chart is a circular graph divided into slices to represent the proportional
sizes of different categories within a whole.
Best for: showing the proportions of a whole when you have a small number
of categorical labels (usually less than four).
Team
27% Tigress
53%
Mantis
20%
Viper
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Doughnut Chart:
A variation of the pie chart. Used to compare proportions among different
categories.
Best for: Comparing a segment to the whole, rather than comparing
individual segments among themselves.
Team A
Team B
Ribbon Chart:
A ribbon chart is a variation of a stacked column chart, used to display multiple
series of data as areas stacked on top of each other.
Best for: Showing the composition of a whole over time and the trend
change over the composition.
The Ribbon Chart displays how each data category ranks and changes over
time, which can be difficult to see in a stacked column chart.
Sum Of Sales By Month And Category
12k 12k
Category
10k Clothing
9k 10k
Electronics
9k
Home goods
7k 6k
Feb Jan Mar
Month
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Line Chart:
A line chart is a type of graph that displays information as a series of data
points connected by straight line segments.
Best for: Comparing the value of an object over time, or to understand the
trend of values over time.
Total Order Quantity By Month & Product
665k
648k
650k
645k
Product
Total Order Quantity
612k
600k 612k
601k
AM Butter
564k
555k
552k
550k 567k
546k
AM Curd
500k 492k 518k
AM Milk
483k
483k 457k
476k
447k
450k
May Jul Aug Apr Jun Mar
Month
Area Chart:
An area chart is similar to a line chart, but the area below the line is filled with
specific colours.
Best for: Drawing attention to the total volume across a trend rather than to
individual values.
Total Deliver Quantity by Month
1645k
1643k
1650k
1628k
Total Order Quantity
1600k
1585k
1565k
1550k
1513k
1500k
Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
Month
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Line Chart with Bar Charts:
Line graphs are often combined with bar charts to represent data across
multiple dimensions.
Total Deliver Quantity & Undelivered Quantity by Product
4M 3.7M 130k
127.8k 3.2M 125k
Total Undelivered Quantity
3M
Total Order Quantity
2.7M 120k Total Deliver
Quantity
2M 115k
Total Undelivered
110.1k Quantity
110k
1M
105k
100.1k
0M 100k
AM Milk AM Curd AM Butter
Month
Scatter Plot:
A scatter chart plots data points for two variables as dots on a Cartesian plane,
revealing their relationship.
Best for: Illustrating the relationship and correlation between two numerical
variables, identifying trends, patterns, and potential outliers in data sets.
Height
Weight
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Funnel Chart:
A funnel chart is a graphical representation used to visualize the progressive
reduction of data as it passes through phases.
Best for: Showing
narrowing correlations 120
between different groups
Applied
of items. 63
Resume Qualified
38
Initial Approach
24
Interview
8
Hired
Heatmap:
A heatmap is a graphical representation of data where values in a matrix are
represented as colours. It can be used for both numeric data and categorical
data.
Best for: Colour-scaling Plan Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
data to accurately P1 ₹396M ₹503M ₹466M ₹448M ₹536M ₹628M ₹620M ₹603M
represent and convey its P2 ₹296M ₹503M ₹466M ₹448M ₹536M ₹628M ₹620M ₹603M
nature and insights.
P3 ₹296M ₹349M ₹353M ₹321M ₹304M ₹341M ₹335M ₹317M
P4 ₹243M ₹280M ₹274M ₹278M ₹200M ₹237M ₹229M ₹212M
P5 ₹216M ₹285M ₹258M ₹246M ₹144M ₹172M ₹179M ₹157M
P6 ₹168M ₹197M ₹199M ₹187M ₹109M ₹135M ₹126M ₹125M
P7 ₹123M ₹158M ₹156M ₹146M ₹33M ₹35M ₹45M ₹43M
P8 ₹94M ₹120M ₹111M ₹110M
P9 ₹52M ₹59M ₹57M ₹58M
P10 ₹23M ₹37M ₹34M ₹38M
P11 ₹414M ₹486M ₹478M ₹482M
P12 ₹255M ₹300M ₹306M ₹300M
P13 ₹72M ₹82M ₹82M ₹79M
E n a b l i n g C a r e e r s
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