data-visualization-choose-by-data-relationship

name	data-visualization-choose-by-data-relationship
description	Sub-skill of data-visualization: Choose by Data Relationship (+1).
version	1.0.0
category	data-analytics
type	reference
scripts_exempt	true

Choose by Data Relationship (+1)

Choose by Data Relationship

What You're Showing	Best Chart	Alternatives
Trend over time	Line chart	Area chart (if showing cumulative or composition)
Comparison across categories	Vertical bar chart	Horizontal bar (many categories), lollipop chart
Ranking	Horizontal bar chart	Dot plot, slope chart (comparing two periods)
Part-to-whole composition	Stacked bar chart	Treemap (hierarchical), waffle chart
Composition over time	Stacked area chart	100% stacked bar (for proportion focus)
Distribution	Histogram	Box plot (comparing groups), violin plot, strip plot
Correlation (2 variables)	Scatter plot	Bubble chart (add 3rd variable as size)
Correlation (many variables)	Heatmap (correlation matrix)	Pair plot
Geographic patterns	Choropleth map	Bubble map, hex map
Flow / process	Sankey diagram	Funnel chart (sequential stages)
Relationship network	Network graph	Chord diagram
Performance vs. target	Bullet chart	Gauge (single KPI only)
Multiple KPIs at once	Small multiples	Dashboard with separate charts

When NOT to Use Certain Charts

• Pie charts: Avoid unless <6 categories and exact proportions matter less than rough comparison. Humans are bad at comparing angles. Use bar charts instead.
• 3D charts: Never. They distort perception and add no information.
• Dual-axis charts: Use cautiously. They can mislead by implying correlation. Clearly label both axes if used.
• Stacked bar (many categories): Hard to compare middle segments. Use small multiples or grouped bars instead.
• Donut charts: Slightly better than pie charts but same fundamental issues. Use for single KPI display at most.