Visualization Cheatsheet

What kind of data do you have, and what are you trying to show about it?

• Quantities, showing the differences between them
  • Bar Chart
• Percentages out of 100%
  • Pie Chart
  • Donut Chart
  • One stacked bar chart
• Percentages out of 100%, with multiple sub-divisions
  • Tree map
• Temporal data of one quantity
  • Area chart
• Temporal data of multiple quantities
  • Multiple area charts
• Multiple attributes of multiple objects
  • Parallel coordinates
• Transfers between multiple places
  • Flame chart
• Quantities of a flow of money or materials going into different places at different times
  • Sankey diagram

How many dimensions does your data have?

• One
  • Histogram
• Two
  • Independent
    • Scatter plot
  • Dependent
    • Continuous
      • Values
        • Line chart
      • Quantities
        • Area chart
      • High-range values
        • Horizon chart
    • Discrete
      • Bar chart
• Three
  • Independent
    • Continuous
      • 3D-surface chart
    • Discrete
      • Bubble chart
      • Color-coded scatter plot
  • Dependent
    • Continuous
      • Quantities
        • Absolute
          • Stacked area chart
        • Relative
          • Percentage stacked area chart
      • Values
        • Line chart
• Many
  • Small multiples
  • Parallel Coordinates