Data Visualization 101 — Charts

How the Right Chart Tells the Right Data Visualization Story

Using the right chart means the difference between data clarity and data confusion (1st part in a two-part series)

“Having all the information in the world at our fingertips doesn’t make it easier to communicate: it makes it harder,” says Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, a data storytelling author. She’s right. The main issue we have with data today isn’t a collection issue, it is a practical issue. With the enormous amount of data flowing through an average IT system, how can a business tell its most compelling data story. Thankfully, there are plenty of software tools out there to do just that, but users should be careful when putting chart or map or table to story.

Although there may be countless ways to skin the proverbial cat, there is usually one best way to present data visually. There are strong theories as to why a particular visual tool should be chosen and it all starts with the eye. Unlike computers, the human eye perceives information visually rather than as blocks of data. Hierarchies are ranked according to the way content is presented in a layout and affected by the following factors:

• Size
• Color
• Contrast
• Alignment
• Repetition
• Element placing and proximity