chart-selection

name	chart-selection
description	Choosing the right chart type for your data, chart anatomy, and common chart mistakes.
triggers	["chart selection","data visualization","chart types"]

Chart Selection

Choosing the Right Chart

Data Relationship	Best Chart
Change over time	Line chart, area chart
Comparison	Bar chart (horizontal for many categories)
Part of whole	Pie/donut (max 5 slices), stacked bar
Distribution	Histogram, box plot
Correlation	Scatter plot
Geographic	Map (choropleth, point map)
Flow/process	Sankey diagram, funnel
Hierarchy	Treemap, sunburst

Chart Anatomy

• Title: States the insight, not the data ('Revenue grew 40% in Q3' not 'Revenue Q1-Q4')
• Axes: Labeled with units, starting at zero for bars (not for lines)
• Legend: Only when multiple series, positioned near the data
• Gridlines: Minimal, light gray, horizontal only
• Annotations: Call out key points directly on the chart

Common Mistakes

1. Pie charts with more than 5 slices (unreadable)
2. 3D charts (distort perception)
3. Dual Y-axes (confusing, usually misleading)
4. Truncated Y-axis on bar charts (exaggerates differences)
5. Too many colors (use one hue with variations for most charts)
6. Missing context (what's the benchmark? trend? target?)