How to choose the right data visualization
The flowchart below will help you when choosing a visualization to display on a TV dashboard in your office. Take time to assess what data you have and then follow the questions in the flowchart to determine how to most effectively visualize your data.
The process begins by asking whether you have one type of data (i.e. a single row or column of text or numbers) or two types of data (i.e. multiple rows or columns of text and/or data such as revenue and dates or sales rep and closed revenue).
If you have one type of data
For when you have, for example, a single row or column of text or numbers.
Question 1: Does your data contain either a date or string (text)?
Yes
No, it contains a number
Question 2: Do you have a list (multiple lines of text)?
Yes
Try a List
No
Question 3: Do you want to show your number within a range (i.e. minimum and maximum values for the number)?
Yes
Try a Gauge
No
Try a Number Widget
If you have two types of data
For when you have, for example, multiple rows or columns of text and/or data such as sales rep and closed revenue.
Question 1 – Does your X-axis contain dates/date-time values?
Yes
No, it contains categories/text
Question 2 – Do you want to show multi-series (multiple sets of data on the same graph)?
Yes
Try a Line Chart
No
Question 3 – Do you want to focus on the trends between the values?
Yes
Try a Line Chart
No
Try a Column Chart
Question 4 – Is this ranked data?
Yes
Try a Leaderboard
No
Question 5 – Do your Y-axis values contain negative numbers?
Yes
Try a Bar Chart
No
Question 6 – Are you comparing many items?
Yes
Try a Bar Chart
No
Try a Column Chart