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Graph Wizard: Choosing a graph type

Different graph types emphasize different aspects of your data. The graph type that you choose depends on the aspects of your data that you want to show. Some graph types show the same information displayed in different formats. When this is the case, then the graph type that you choose is a matter of personal preference.

The following table suggests graph types for different aspects of data that you want to emphasize in a graph.

Aspect of Data

Example

Graph Types

The difference between items over time or at the same point in time

Which products are selling best in which stores?

Clustered Bar or 3-D Bar

Trends over time

Is our market share increasing or decreasing?

Absolute Line or Stacked Area

Cyclical trends over time

Have the sales of this product peaked in March consistently over the past three years?

Radar graph

Rate of data change

How fast is our market share increasing?

Absolute Line or Stacked Area

Percentage or changes in percentage

How much of our revenue comes from each product line? Is our big seller bringing in the same percentage of revenue as it did last year at this time?

Pie or Percentage Bar, Line, or Area

Relationship of parts to the whole

Which products' sales are most closely related to our total sales? Which products' sales follow the trend of the total sales? Which ones do not?

Pie, Percentage Bar or Line, or Stacked Bar, Line, or Area graph.

Relationship of parts to the whole, with more detail for one of the parts

Which product line accounts for the highest percentage of sales? Within that product line, which districts make up the most sales?

Pie-Bar

Changes in all parts of a whole

Do the products that bring the most revenue to the entire company bring in the most revenue for each district?

Multiple Pie or Stacked Bar, Line, or Area

Relationships between two variables

Do sales increase when we spend more on marketing?

Scatter or Polar

Relationships between three variables

Do sales and profits increase proportionally when we spend more on marketing?

Bubble

Location of defects in a system

Where are the highest percentage of defects occuring?

Pareto