- Use gauges
- Use pie charts
- Use trend arrows
- Sort metrics based on status (e.g. traffic light color)
- Use radar charts
- Use bubble graphs (where the size of the bubble matters)
- Increase data pixel to non-data pixel ratio without a clear understanding of the "story" being expressed by the dashboard
Sunday, September 16, 2007
7 Sins of Dashboarding
Here's the list - don't ever do them:
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4 comments:
I didn't get you. You don't recommend using gauges and pie charts? Please clarify.
Check out Stephen Few's work. He demonstrates that gauges and pie charts are difficult to read because the human eye cannot perceive differences in angles as well as it can distinguish length. If you prepare two graphs of a set of data - one with a column chart, and the other with the pie chart, you'll imediately see that the column chart is more readable.
I agree with your view on piechart.
But are gauges more readable than showing the indicator in textual format?
Assuming I have to show the latest price of a stock. I would prefer showing it using a gauge with min and max set to the intraday low and high.
Do you foresee any alternative?
You might consider a High-Low-Close chart which will give the information you are looking for, but with the added value of historical trend included. See:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HA011179421033.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-high-low-close_chart
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