• Home
  • Tools dropdown img
    • Spreadsheet Charts

      • ChartExpo for Google Sheets
      • ChartExpo for Microsoft Excel
    • Power BI Charts

      • Power BI Custom Visuals by ChartExpo
    • Word Cloud

  • Charts dropdown img
    • Chart Category

      • Bar Charts
      • Circle Graphs
      • Column Charts
      • Combo Charts
      • Comparison Charts
      • Line Graphs
      • PPC Charts
      • Sentiment Analysis Charts
      • Survey Charts
    • Chart Type

      • Box and Whisker Plot
      • Clustered Bar Chart
      • Clustered Column Chart
      • Comparison Bar Chart
      • Control Chart
      • CSAT Score Bar Chart
      • CSAT Score Survey Chart
      • Dot Plot Chart
      • Double Bar Graph
      • Funnel Chart
      • Gauge Chart
      • Likert Scale Chart
      • Matrix Chart
      • Multi Axis Line Chart
      • Overlapping Bar Chart
      • Pareto Chart
      • Radar Chart
      • Radial Bar Chart
      • Sankey Diagram
      • Scatter Plot Chart
      • Slope Chart
      • Sunburst Chart
      • Tornado Chart
      • Waterfall Chart
      • Word Cloud
    • Google Sheets
      Microsoft Excel
  • Services
  • Pricing
  • Blog
  • Support dropdown img
      • Gallery
      • Videos
      • Contact Us
      • FAQs
      • Resources
    • Accessible Support

      for Your Journey

Categories
All Data Visualizations Data Analytics Data Stories
Add-ons
  • Google Sheets
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Power BI
All Data Visualizations Data Analytics
Data Stories
  • Healthcare
Add-ons
  • Google Sheets
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Power BI

We use cookies

This website uses cookies to provide better user experience and user's session management.
By continuing visiting this website you consent the use of these cookies.

Ok

ChartExpo Survey



Home > Blog > Data Visualization > Add-ons > Microsoft Excel >

Top 5 Different Types of Charts for Representing Data

Getting actionable answers from bulky data is tedious and time-consuming.

different types of charts for representing data

This is where data visualization charts come in.

The visualization designs can help you distill business data into meaningful insights. And this can save tons of hours, which you can use to relax or execute other tasks.

We recommend charts that communicate insights with clarity, especially when creating compelling data stories for audiences (or readers).

Some of the tested and proven data visualization charts include:

  • Dot Plot
  • Radar Chart
  • Treemaps
  • Pareto Chart
  • Scatter Plot

Excel is one of the go-to popular data visualization tools among professionals and business owners worldwide.

But the visualization tool has very basic Dot Plot, Radar, Treemaps, Pareto, and Scatter Plot Charts. And this implies you’ve got to invest extra effort and time to edit the charts to align with your needs.

You can download and install a specific add-in in your Excel to access ready-to-use charts (highlighted above).

Table of Content:

  1. What is a Chart?
  2. What is the Importance of Graphs and Charts?
  3. What are the Major Benefits of a Chart?
  4. Types of Charts to Use for Your Data
  5. How to Generate Different Types of Charts for Representing Data?
  6. Wrap Up

What is a Chart?

Definition: Charts are graphical representations of data that tell a story using symbols to ease understanding of large data quantities.

Humans interpret visual data 60,000 times faster than numbers and texts. And this means to make your data story more compelling, you’ve got to use charts and graphs. You can easily uncover hidden trends, patterns, relationships, and other insights.

Keep reading because we’ll address the following question in the coming section: what is the importance of graphs and charts?

What is the Importance of Graphs and Charts?

  • Boost Productivity and Efficiency

The different types of charts for representing data we’ll talk about can improve productivity and efficiency in the workplace. In other words, you can leverage data to predict risks, such as declining productivity.

Charts and graphs can help you track productivity metrics in real-time. With a solid business analytics strategy, you can easily point out gaps and improvement areas in your workplace or business.

  • Predict Your Customers’ Changes in Tastes and Preferences

In today’s world, customers have a broader range of choices.

If your business is aligned with the customers’ desires and expectations, you can easily find yourself in a downward spiral. Customers change their minds as they are continuously exposed to new information in their purchasing journey.

With the vast amount of data, it’s practically impossible for you to make sense of all the changes in the market.

The different types of charts for representing data (which we’ll talk about in a few) provide you with answers about the changing behavior of the market. You can easily point out significant shifts in tastes and preferences by using charts.

Timely awareness of customer behavior changes can be the decisive factor in the current competitive landscape.

  • Personalize your Offers

Gone are the days you could easily sell a standard set of products and services to customers.

Today’s market craves products and services that can meet their individual needs.

One of the benefits of business charts is that they can help you keep track of your target market’s tastes, preferences, and needs. You can leverage data from various attributions, such as social media and websites, to create a reliable persona for the market.

  • Decision-making

Many small and medium-sized businesses are still betting on gut feel rather than facts and data. 

One of the key reasons for this could be a lack of access to quality data to back decision-making processes.

Business charts can help you distill signals from noise in your raw data. And this can save massive amounts of time. Just imagine the competitive advantage you would enjoy by relying on data to make strategic decisions.

In the coming section, we’ll address the following question: what are the major benefits of a chart?

What are the Major Benefits of a Chart?

The different types of charts for representing data are vital, especially when crafting data stories for the top management. Top management can use data presentation graphs, such as Pareto and Scatter Plot Charts, as a backdrop for their decision.

Presentation charts, maps, and graphs are powerful because they simplify data by making it understandable and readable at the same time. Besides, they make data stories compelling and irresistible to target audiences.

  • Easy to Understand

Thanks to creative data visualization examples, such as Pareto Charts, you can interpret vast quantities of data clearly and cohesively to draw conclusions and see perspectives.

You can easily create and rapidly consume key metrics associated with your business or workplace.

If any of the aforementioned metrics have anomalies, such as a significant decline in sales, you can easily dig into the data.

  • Speed up the Decision-making Process

We naturally process visual images 60,000 times faster than text. Creative data visualization examples, such as charts and maps, are more comfortable for our brain to process.

Thanks to our ability to easily interpret visual content, data presentation examples can dramatically improve the speed of decision-making processes.

We’ll cover the following: types of charts to use for your data in the coming section.

Types of Charts to Use for Your Data

  • Dot Plot

dot plot using different types of charts for representing data

A Dot Plot Chart consists of data points plotted as dots on a graph.

You can use the chart to visualize univariate and categorical data types. Dot Plot (one of the different types of charts for representing data) can help you extract reliable insights from smaller data sets.

Also, you can use the chart to uncover critical insights, such as trends and clusters in your business data.

The Dot Plot displays the number of data points that fall into each category or value on the axis, thus showing the distribution variables in your data.

Furthermore, a Dot Plot groups vital metrics in your data in dots, which you can label easily. And this gives a visual depiction of the data distribution, similar to a histogram or probability distribution function. With this chart, you can easily detect macro insights, such as the central tendency, dispersion, skewness, and data modality.

  • Radar Chart

radar chart using different types of charts for representing data

A Radar Chart is one of the most modern graphs and charts – ideal for multiple comparisons. The visualization design uses a circular display with several different quantitative axes looking like spokes on a wheel.

Each axis shows insights into key data points.

The graph goes by multiple monikers, such as:

  • Spider Charts
  • Web Charts
  • Star Plots

Check out the benefits of a Radar Chart below:

  • Compare bulky and complex data sets

One of the key advantages of a Radar Chart (one of the different types of charts for representing data) is you can easily display insights into two or more significant data points. In other words, you can display multiple variables within a limited space without cluttering.

  • Make comparisons

You can use a Radar Chart with multiple scales to compare two or more significant variables in your data. For instance, you can compare gross profits, net profits, and dividends issued within a single chart.

  • Outliers

One of the reasons why seasoned data visualization experts use the Radar Chart is that it displays hidden outliers and anomalies within your data.

  • Treemaps

treemaps using different types of charts for representing data

Treemap Charts are ideal for displaying large amounts of hierarchically structured (tree-structured) data. The space in the visualization is split up into rectangles sized and ordered based on key data points.

The levels in the hierarchy of the Treemap are visualized as rectangles containing other rectangles. Each set of rectangles on the same level in the hierarchy represents a column or an expression in a data table.

Each individual rectangle on a level in the hierarchy represents a category in a column.

Keep reading because we’re not yet done with all the different types of charts for representing data.

  • Pareto Chart

pareto chart using different types of charts for representing data

A Pareto Chart is a graph that indicates the frequency of defects and their cumulative impact.

The chart is useful, especially in hunting for defects to achieve maximum overall improvement. The key purpose of a Pareto Diagram (one of the different types of charts for representing data) is to separate the significant aspects of a problem from the trivial ones.

Pareto Chart is based on the classic 80/20 rule. The rule says that 20% of the causal factors result in 80% of the overall outcomes. For instance, 80% of the world’s total wealth is held by 20% of the population.

This easy-to-read chart prevents you from attacking the causes randomly by uncovering the top 20% of the problems, negatively affecting 80% of your overall performance.

You can use a Pareto Chart, especially when you encounter multiple related problems or a common problem with numerous causes in your business. Many people use Pareto Chart in Quality Control process to ensure they get best results from their processes.

Why?

A Pareto Chart empowers you to categorize occurrences based on their impact on a common strategic goal or objective. This visualization design aims to categorize key variables in your data based on their frequency of occurrence.

  • Scatter Plot

scatter plot using different types of charts for representing data

A Scatter Plot Chart (one of the different types of charts for representing data) is a visualization design that uses Cartesian coordinates to display insights into varying data sets.

The chart uses dots to display relationships between variables.

The Scatter Plot communicates insights using dots or markers between its x and y-axes. Essentially, each of the chart’s dots appears “scattered” hence its name. Use Scatter Plot to determine the causal effect relationship between key data points.

For instance, you can use the visualization design to track the relationship between profits and employees’ training in your business.

How to Generate Different Types of Charts for Representing Data?

Excel comes with pretty basic version of charts discussed above. And this means you need to rework these charts, which means additional time spent.

If you feel you’ve outgrown the basic charts offered by Excel, give ChartExpo a try.

Why? 

ChartExpo is an add-in you can install in Excel to access different types of charts for representing data, such as Scatter Plot.

More so, the data visualization tool produces ready-made and visually stunning charts. ChartExpo has tons of ready-made charts you’ll never find in freemium data visualization tools, such as Excel. You don’t need programming or coding to use ChartExpo. Yes, it’s that easy to use this highly intuitive tool.

So how can you install ChartExpo in Excel?

Example

We’ll use a Scatter Plot to visualize the tabular data below for insights.

Products Type Products Profit cost no. of orders
Cosmetic Face Primer 15.79 90 10
Cosmetic Foundation 20.13 70 12
Cosmetic Concealer 38.62 190 9
Cosmetic Blush 34.62 880 16
Cosmetic Highlighter 71.84 900 22
Cosmetic Bronzer 71.84 600 23
Cosmetic Powder 32.77 600 42
Cosmetic Eye Primer 21.8 1300 19
Electronics TVs 110 590 28
Electronics refrigerators 12.61 390 11
Electronics washing machines 70.21 490 41
Electronics air conditioners 70.21 390 18
Electronics printers 68.83 260 17
Electronics speakers 17.55 210 2
Electronics keyboards 54.74 170 23
Electronics e-readers 12.66 170 13

Here’s the complete step-by-step guide on installing the ChartExpo add-in for the Excel application.

To get started with the Scatter Plot in Excel, follow the steps below

  • Open the worksheet and click the Insert button to access the My Apps option.
  • From Insert menu click the My Apps button to access the ChartExpo add-in for Excel.
insert chartexpo in excel
  • Select ChartExpo and click the Insert button to get started with ChartExpo.
open chartexpo in excel
  • The add-in will be added to the Excel application. You will see the list of charts as shown below:
list of charts in-excel
  • Click the Search box and type “Scatter Plot.” You’ll be taken straight to the Scatter Chart’s location in the tool.
  • Once the Chart pops up, click on Scatter Plot icon to get started, as shown below.
search chart in excel
  • Select the sheet holding your data and click the Create Chart from Selection button.
create chart in excel
  • Check out the final Scatter Plot below.
scatter plot using different types of charts for representing data

FAQs:

What are the limitations of charts?

If you display more than twelve attributes, your chart will be cluttered

To extract reliable insights, use similar measurement types. For example, if two statistics are measured in percentage and two in units, then all four appear in the graph because the y-axis allows you to have two like-measurements each.

Which is better to use, table or chart?

Tables are manageable and easy to read if dealing with a smaller data sample. However, we recommend charts and graphs if you’re dealing with thousands of rows and columns.

And this is because they can represent reliable insights into key data points that matter the most.

Which is the most useful representation of data to you?

Charts, tables, maps, and graphs are all significant, primarily if you work with data frequently. And this is because they distill insights from noise, which save a lot of time.

Secondly, you can easily integrate charts, graphs, and maps as backdrops into your data story.

Wrap Up

Getting actionable answers from bulky data is time-intensive, which is where charts come in.

The visualization designs can help you distill business data into meaningful insights. And this can save tons of hours. We recommend charts that communicate insights with clarity, especially when creating compelling data stories.

Some of the tested and proven data visualization charts include:

  • Dot Plot
  • Radar Chart
  • Treemaps
  • Pareto Chart
  • Scatter Plot

Excel is one of the go-to popular data visualization tools among professionals and business owners worldwide.

But the visualization tool has very basic Dot Plot, Radar, Treemaps, Pareto, and Scatter Plot Charts. And this implies you’ve got to invest extra effort and time to edit the charts.

We recommend you install third-party apps, such as ChartExpo, to access different types of charts for representing data. This easy-to-use data visualization tool comes as an add-on you can easily download and install in your spreadsheet app.

ChartExpo comes loaded with insightful and easy-to-interpret Scatter Diagrams, plus many ready-made and insightful charts. You don’t need programming or coding skills to visualize your data using ChartExpo.

Sign up for a 7-day free trial today to access ready-made and crystal-clear charts for representing data.

How much did you enjoy this article?

chartexpo ad
chartexpo ad
chartexpo ad
chartexpo ad
119595

Related articles

next previous
Microsoft Excel9 min read

Visualizing Data Using Customer Satisfaction Survey Software

Discover the best customer satisfaction survey software. You’ll also learn how to visualize and analyze survey results in Excel for actionable insights.

Microsoft Excel9 min read

How to Analyze Customer Experience Measures in Excel?

Learn how to measure and analyze customer experience using Excel. Discover the six key customer experience measures and how to create effective charts.

Microsoft Excel9 min read

How to Analyze Competitive Analysis Research Data in Excel?

Click here to learn how to effectively analyze competitive analysis research data in Excel with the best charts and visualization techniques.

Microsoft Excel9 min read

Mastering the Art of Analyzing and Interpreting Data in Excel

Learn the essential techniques for analyzing and interpreting data in Excel. We’ll show you how to create charts, interpret data, and unlock insights.

Microsoft Excel9 min read

How to Analyze Market Research Survey Data in Excel?

Learn how to conduct and analyze a market research survey. This guide also has the best market research questions to ask in your next survey.

ChartExpo logo

Turn Data into Visual
Stories

CHARTEXPO

  • Home
  • Gallery
  • Videos
  • Services
  • Pricing
  • Contact us
  • FAQs
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Sitemap

TOOLS

  • ChartExpo for Google Sheets
  • ChartExpo for Microsoft Excel
  • Power BI Custom Visuals by ChartExpo
  • Word Cloud

CATEGORIES

  • Bar Charts
  • Circle Graphs
  • Column Charts
  • Combo Charts
  • Comparison Charts
  • Line Graphs
  • PPC Charts
  • Sentiment Analysis Charts
  • Survey Charts

TOP CHARTS

  • Sankey Diagram
  • Likert Scale Chart
  • Comparison Bar Chart
  • Pareto Chart
  • Funnel Chart
  • Gauge Chart
  • Radar Chart
  • Radial Bar Chart
  • Sunburst Chart
  • see more
  • Scatter Plot Chart
  • CSAT Score Bar Chart
  • CSAT Score Survey Chart
  • Dot Plot Chart
  • Double Bar Graph
  • Matrix Chart
  • Multi Axis Line Chart
  • Overlapping Bar Chart
  • Control Chart
  • Slope Chart
  • Clustered Bar Chart
  • Clustered Column Chart
  • Box and Whisker Plot
  • Tornado Chart
  • Waterfall Chart
  • Word Cloud
  • see less

RESOURCES

  • Blog
  • Resources
  • YouTube
SIGN UP FOR UPDATES

We wouldn't dream of spamming you or selling your info.

© 2023 ChartExpo, all rights reserved.