When it comes to data visualization, it’s easy to get caught up in choosing flashy charts or using the latest trends. However, at its core, creating charts is about one simple goal: answering a question about your data. If your chart doesn’t answer a clear, relevant question, it’s probably not worth making.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to identify the right chart for your data by focusing on the key questions each chart type helps you answer. Let’s dive in.

Step 1: Start with a Question

Before deciding on a chart type, always start by asking: “What do I need to know from my data?” This question should guide your decision-making process and ensure that the chart you create provides meaningful insights.

Here are some common data questions you might want to answer:

• Do I want to compare categories?
• Am I looking to track changes over time
• Do I need to understand how something is composed?
• Am I interested in the relationship between two variables?

By focusing on the question first, you’re ensuring that the chart serves a clear purpose, rather than being just a visual without insight.

Step 2: Common Questions and the Best Chart Types to Answer Them

Now that you have a question in mind, let’s match it to the best chart type for the job.

1. Question: How does one category compare to another?

Best Chart Type: Bar Chart or Column Chart

When to Use: These charts are perfect for comparing the values of different categories. They’re straightforward and make it easy to see which category is larger, smaller, or relatively equal to others.

Example: Imagine you’re comparing sales figures across various product categories. A bar chart would clearly show which product category is performing the best.

Pro Tip: Use a horizontal bar chart when your categories have long names. This improves readability.

2. Question: How has data changed over time?

Best Chart Type: Line Chart

When to Use: Line charts excel at showing trends or changes in data over time. Whether you’re tracking sales over months or website visitors over days, a line chart helps highlight patterns, spikes, and dips.

Example: If you want to visualize your monthly website traffic for the past year, a line chart would make it easy to see growing or declining trends.

Pro Tip: Add data markers to emphasize key changes or events along the timeline.

3. Question: Do I need to understand how something is composed?

Best Chart Type: Pie Chart or Stacked Bar Chart

When to Use: Pie charts are great for displaying how a single entity is divided into parts. However, if you need to compare these parts across multiple categories, a stacked bar chart is a better choice.

Example: Let’s say you want to show the percentage breakdown of your company’s revenue sources (product sales, subscriptions, services). A pie chart works well for this.

Pro Tip: Be careful with pie charts. If you have too many small slices, it can be hard to read. In that case, consider using a stacked bar chart for better clarity.

4. Question: What is the relationship between two variables?

Best Chart Type: Scatter Plot

When to Use: Scatter plots are perfect for uncovering correlations or relationships between two variables. They show patterns, clusters, or even outliers that are difficult to spot in raw data.

Example: You want to see if there’s a correlation between how much time users spend on your website and the number of purchases they make.

Pro Tip: Add a trendline to your scatter plot to visualize the strength and direction of the correlation.

5. Question: How does one category compare to the whole?

Best Chart Type: 100% Stacked Bar Chart

When to Use: If you need to show the contribution of different categories as part of a whole, while also comparing them across multiple groups, the 100% stacked bar chart is ideal.

Example: You want to compare how much each department contributes to your company’s total expenses, while also showing the actual amounts spent by each department.

Pro Tip: Use this chart when you want to focus on both the overall size and the proportion of categories at the same time.

6. Question: What are the highest or lowest values in a dataset?

Best Chart Type: Bar Chart or Column Chart

When to Use: Bar and column charts make it easy to visually rank items from highest to lowest (or vice versa).

Example: Let’s say you want to rank your sales reps by performance. A bar chart is a quick way to see who’s on top and who might need improvement.

Pro Tip: Sort your bars or columns from highest to lowest to make comparisons even clearer.

Step 3: Consider the Type of Data You’re Working With

The type of data you have can also influence the best chart type to use. Here’s a quick guide:

• Categorical Data: Bar and column charts are ideal for comparing categories like regions, products, or demographic groups.
• Time Series Data: Line charts work best when you need to show trends over time, such as sales or temperature data.
• Proportional Data: Pie charts or stacked bar charts are great for showing parts of a whole, like revenue breakdowns.
• Correlated Data: Use scatter plots to highlight relationships between two variables, like sales and advertising spend.

Step 4: Avoid Creating Charts Just for the Sake of It

It’s tempting to create a chart for every piece of data, but not all data requires visualization. If a chart doesn’t answer a specific question or doesn’t add value beyond a simple table, it might not be necessary. Always ask yourself, “Does this chart provide insight?”

• If a table can convey the information just as well (or better), stick with that.
• If a chart would oversimplify complex data, it might do more harm than good.

Conclusion

Choosing the right chart type is all about answering the right question. Whether you’re comparing categories, showing trends over time, or exploring the relationship between variables, matching your question to the right chart type ensures your data is not only visualized, but also understood.

Remember, a chart should simplify your data, answer the key question, and make insights clear. Use this guide to ensure that your next chart does exactly that.

Want to make chart creation even easier? Download our Quick Chart Template Pack to get started with pre-designed, customizable chart templates that are ready to answer your data questions.