Pie Chart or Bar Chart?

Choose the right chart type: pie chart or bar chart?

1. PieChart
or
Bar Chart?
CHOOSETHE RIGHT CHART TYPE

2. PieChart or Bar Chart?
Thisis yourdata:
Whatis the best charttype:
ABCDE
39361195
A
B
C
D
E
E
D
C
B
A
Piechart? orBar chart?

3. PieChart or Bar Chart?
The short answer:
Createa bar chart
A bar chartis almostalwaysa betterchoicethana piechart.

4. PieChart or Bar Chart?
The long answer:
It depends
What’syourpoint?

5. What’s Your Point?
What’syourmessageforyouraudience?
What’sthe ONE thingyouwant peopletoremember?
Is itimportant toshow thatA andB
make up 75% of the total?
Or do youwant toshow thatA is largerthanB?
A > B
A + B = 75%

6. Showinga Percentage
What’syourpoint?
In whichchartis iteasiertoseethatA andB make up 75% of the total:
A
B
C
D
E
E
D
C
B
A
Piechart? orBar chart?
A + B = 75%

7. Showinga Percentage
What’syourpoint?
In whichchartis iteasiertoseethatA andB make up 75% of the total:
A
B
C
D
E
E
D
C
B
A
Piechart! or Bar chart?
A + B = 75%

8. Showinga Percentage
What’syourpoint?
TIP
Emphasizeyourpoint withcolor:
A
B
C
D
E
A
B
C
D
E
A + B = 75%

9. Showinga Percentage
IMPORTANT
Onlycreatea piechartwhenyouwant toshow the percentage of
ONE categoryor ONE groupof categories.
Do want toshow the percentage of more thanonegroupor category?
Don’tcreatea piechart, createa bar chartinstead. I’llshow youwhy...

10. ComparingValues
What’syourpoint?
In whichchartis iteasiertoseethatA is largerthanB:
A
B
C
D
E
E
D
C
B
A
Piechart? orBar chart?
A > B

11. ComparingValues
What’syourpoint?
In whichchartis iteasiertoseethatA is largerthanB:
A
B
C
D
E
E
D
C
B
A
Piechart? orBar chart!
A > B

12. ComparingValues
Createa bar chartwhenyouwant tocomparevalues.
Why?
Becauseourbrainis notgoodat comparingthe partsof a piechart, but
it’sverygoodat comparingthe lengthof bars in a bar chart.

13. What’s My Point?
A bar chart is almost always a
betterchoicethana pie chart.
Why?
In most cases youraudiencewants tocomparevalues. Andcomparing
valuesis mucheasierin a bar chartthana piechart.
E
D
C
B
A