Starting smartly with charts

Data Storytelling Concepts

Joe Franklin

Senior Curriculum Manager, DataCamp

Match your data to a chart

 

  • Certain chart types work best with certain data types
  • Charts are the most common visualizations
  • Charts display quantitative data in an intuitive format

  a person reviews several different types of printed charts

Data Storytelling Concepts

Pie charts

 

  • Pie charts are very popular
  • However, they do a poor job of comparing values with similar amounts
  • Use these sparingly

pie chart comparing the percentage of a payday budget for households

Data Storytelling Concepts

Bar charts

 

  • Show counts and frequency by category
  • When a pie chart is used, try a bar chart instead
  • Bar charts require less effort from your audience

bar chart comparing the percentage of a payday budget for households

Data Storytelling Concepts

Scatter plot

 

  • Scatter plots best represent the relationship between two quantitative variables
  • Plot the observations using an X-axis and Y-axis
  • Scatter plots show if the relationship between two variables is positive, negative, or relatively neutral.

  A scatter plot shows the relationship between caffeine intake and productivity by plotting individual values between two axes

Data Storytelling Concepts

Line chart

 

  • Line charts work well with time series data
  • Compare and contrast performance over time
  • Trends become easy to spot and analyze

graphic showing the increase or decrease of budget expenses by category over time

Data Storytelling Concepts

Area charts

 

  • Area charts show many variables over time by filling in space to the X-axis
  • The areas under a trend line are different colors for different categories
  • Area charts can work well when displaying a relationship between the two variables

  graphic shows different categories with different colors and areas that are colored in all the way to a horizontal axis

Data Storytelling Concepts

Let's practice!

Data Storytelling Concepts

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