7 steps to better charts
DESCRIPTION
Seven simple steps to clean up Excel graphs to make them look professional and tell your story more quickly.TRANSCRIPT
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Better graphs in seven steps
1. Select your story and decide on type of chart
3. Directly label (no unnecessary legends)
2. Reduce the clutter
4. Emphasize your message with color
5. Summarize your story in the title
6. Check your work
7. Share
Adapted from Ann K. Emeryannkemery.com
(Powerpoint and Excel are OK!)
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IQ 1 IQ 2 IQ 3 IQ 40%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
25%
44%
58%
77%
21% 22%
14%
2%
UIDRSBY
Figure 1: UID and RSBY coverage rates, as of 2013 (not weighted for population size)
2. Reduce the clutter
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IQ 1 IQ 2 IQ 3 IQ 4
25%
44%
58%
77%
21% 22%
14%
2%
UIDRSBY
Figure 1: UID and RSBY coverage rates, as of 2013 (not weighted for population size)
2. Reduce the clutter
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IQ 1 IQ 2 IQ 3 IQ 4
25%
44%
58%
77%
21% 22%
14%
2%
UIDRSBY
Figure 1: UID and RSBY coverage rates, as of 2013 (not weighted for population size)
2. Reduce the clutter
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IQ 1 IQ 2 IQ 3 IQ 4
25%
44%
58%
77%
21% 22%
14%
2%
UIDRSBY
Figure 1: UID and RSBY coverage rates, as of 2013 (not weighted for population size)
2. Reduce the clutter
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IQ 1 IQ 2 IQ 3 IQ 4
25%
44%
58%
77%
21% 22%
14%
2%
Figure 1: UID and RSBY coverage rates, as of 2013 (not weighted for population size)
2. Reduce the clutter (don’t worry)
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IQ 1 IQ 2 IQ 3 IQ 4
25%
44%
58%
77%
21% 22%
14%
2%
Figure 1: UID and RSBY coverage rates, as of 2013 (not weighted for population size)
3. Directly label
RSBY
UID
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25%
44%
58%
77%
21% 22%
14%
2%
Figure 1: UID and RSBY coverage rates, as of 2013 (not weighted for population size)
3. Directly label
RSBY
UID
Income quartile1
Income quartile2
Income quartile3
Income quartile4
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25%
44%
58%
77%
21% 22%
14%
2%
Figure 1: UID and RSBY coverage rates, as of 2013 (not weighted for population size)
4. Emphasize your message with color
RSBY
UID
Income quartile1
Income quartile2
Income quartile3
Income quartile4
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25%
44%
58%
77%
21% 22%
14%
2%
Figure 1: UID and RSBY coverage rates, as of 2013 (not weighted for population size)
4. Emphasize your message with color
RSBY
UID
Income quartile1
Income quartile2
Income quartile3
Income quartile4
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25%
44%
58%
77%
21% 22%
14%
2%
5. Summarize your story in the title
RSBY
UID
Income quartile1
Income quartile2
Income quartile3
Income quartile4
Figure 1: UID coverage in poor states lags far behind rich states; the same is not true for RSBY.Rates as of 2013 (not weighted for population size)
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Before After
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6. Check your work (pt 1: the squint test)
UID
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6. Check your work (pt 2: second opinions)
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506px
285px
7. Share
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25%
44%
58%
77%
21% 22%
14%
2%
Figure 1: UID coverage rates in poor states are far behind those in rich states; the same is not true for RSBY.Rates as of 2013 (not weighted for population size)
Income quartile1
Income quartile2
Income quartile3
Income quartile4
RSBY
UID
7. Share
![Page 17: 7 Steps to Better Charts](https://reader033.vdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022061117/5465edfaaf79597e288b5cdd/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
25%
44%
58%
77%
21% 22%14%
2%
Figure 1: UID coverage rates in poor states are far behind those in rich states; the same is not true for RSBY.Rates as of 2013 (not weighted for population size)
Income quartile1
Income quartile2
Income quartile3
Income quartile4
RSBY
UID
7. Share
![Page 18: 7 Steps to Better Charts](https://reader033.vdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022061117/5465edfaaf79597e288b5cdd/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
7. Share
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Aaron Fulkerson / Wikimedia Commons
Graphical excellence is nearly always multivariate
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0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,0000%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Quartile 1
Quartile 2
Quartile 3
Quartile 4
GDP per capita
Tufte-esque
UID enrollment is high in rich states, but poor—and populous— states are lagging behind
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Samples
Before After
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Samples
Before After
![Page 23: 7 Steps to Better Charts](https://reader033.vdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022061117/5465edfaaf79597e288b5cdd/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Samples
Before After
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Resources
CGD colors: teal 0, 107, 119 RGB yellow 255, 187, 54 RGB
Ann K. Emeryannkemery.com
www.storytellingwithdata.com
www.edwardtufte.com/tufte
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Excel graph
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