how to make useful excel graphs

Don’t Let Microsoft Put Lipstick on the Pig

orHow to Eschew the Chartjunk and

Make Great Excel Graphs

© Stan Siranovich 2010 2

Excel: to Use or Not to Use?

Reasons to Use

• Spreadsheets necessary to running a business

• Data already in Excel• More charts in Excel

than all other applications combined

Reasons to Not Use• New charting engine• Poor default choices by

Microsoft• Confusing array of

shades, colors, backgrounds and options

© Stan Siranovich 2010 3

Pie Charts

• Purpose?• Info is not 3-D• Tilting adds nothing• Shading and shadows

add nothing

http://www.perceptualedge.com/articles/b-eye/excels_new_charting_engine.pdf

© Stan Siranovich 2010 4

Bar Charts

• Purpose?• Tapering, rounding,

useless depth and shading

• Chartjunk – superficial decoration with no regard for the data

http://www.perceptualedge.com/articles/b-eye/excels_new_charting_engine.pdf

© Stan Siranovich 2010 5

“Ginzu Graphs”• Emphasis on

meaningless visual effects

• Encourage to treat graphs superficially

• Obfuscates the information

http://www.perceptualedge.com/articles/b-eye/excels_new_charting_engine.pdf

© Stan Siranovich 2010 6

What to Do?

• Remember the objective – “It’s the data, stupid.”

• Recognize that less is more• Start with a good, clean default layout• Modify the default only when necessary

© Stan Siranovich 2010 7

"The only worse design than a pie chart is several of them." Edward Tufte

• Four factors: year, region, share, toe

• Must scan back and forth between charts

• Information is hidden

toe – tons oil equivalentOECD - 30 developed economies, including USA and EuropeEME - Emerging Market Economy countriesFSU - Former Soviet Union countriesOther EMEs - EMEs less China and FSU countries

http://processtrends.com/toc_chart_doctor.htm

© Stan Siranovich 2010 8

“Death to Pie Charts!”

• Three increasing, three decreasing

• China and other EMEs – greatest increase

• FSU – greatest decrease

William Eddy of Carnegie-Mellon University,ASA Committee on Energy Statistics

OECD - 30 developed economies, including USA and EuropeEME - Emerging Market Economy countriesFSU - Former Soviet Union countriesOther EMEs - EMEs less China and FSU countries http://processtrends.com/toc_chart_doctor.htm

© Stan Siranovich 2010 9

“Death to Pie Charts!”

• US and Europe – decreasing shares

• Other OECD – slight increase

William Eddy of Carnegie-Mellon University,ASA Committee on Energy Statistics

OECD - 30 developed economies, including USA and EuropeEME - Emerging Market Economy countriesFSU - Former Soviet Union countriesOther EMEs - EMEs less China and FSU countries http://processtrends.com/toc_chart_doctor.htm

© Stan Siranovich 2010 10

"The only worse design than a pie chart is several of them." Edward Tufte

© Stan Siranovich 2010 11

Review

• Remember the objective – “It’s the data, stupid.”

• Recognize that less is more• Start with a good, clean default layout• Modify the default only when

necessary

© Stan Siranovich 2010 12

Stamp Out Chartjunk!

© Stan Siranovich 2010 13

Lake Woebegone Presidential Poll

http://www.perceptualedge.com/articles/b-eye/excels_new_charting_engine.pdf

© Stan Siranovich 2010 14

Acknowledgements

Further Reading• Stephen Few• Edward Tufte• Stephen M. Kosslyn• Naomi B. Robbins, Ph.D.• Mastering Layout: mike

stevens on the art of eye appeal

Websites

• http://www.perceptualedge.com/

• http://www.daheiser.info/excel/frontpage.html

• http://www.practicalstats.com/index.html