Jorge Camoes’ Charts

This is the time for scatter plots in the 10 x 10 charting tips series:

A scatter plot is square by definition (I forget that sometimes…);
In some cases, it makes more sense to use a scatter plot than two column charts: for example, instead of having a column chart to display product market […]

These are 10 basic tips for column and bar chart design:

A column chart is not a skyline: if you can’t see the individual patterns, consider removing some series or create several smaller charts;
If you are charting categorical data sort the columns; if there is more than one series, allow the user to sort the data […]

Following the 10 x 10 post series on tips for better charts, these are the 10 tips for line charts:

Don’t use line markers unless you really need them to identify b&w printed charts;
Don’t use a legend; directly label the series, instead;
If you can’t easily see the pattern of each series you may have too […]

I know, I know, no one likes pie charts, but I can’t ignore them. A pie chart compares proportions but it is of limited use: either the data is too complex and a pie chart can’t handle it, or it is too simple and you should just use a table. So, the first […]

This is the second of 10 posts where I’m listing tips for better charts. Please take a look at the first post where the project is discussed. These are my chart formatting tips:

Use the right chart type for the data and the problem;
Apply sound design principles;
Use color strategically: mute axis and grid lines […]

This is the first in a series of 10 posts where I’ll suggest a (hopefully) coherent set of tips to improve our charts and, more important, to improve the way we make sense of the data. These are the planned posts:

General charting;
Formating;
Column/Bar charts;
Line charts;
Scatterplots (XY charts);
Pie charts;
Other chart formats;
Dynamic charts;
Dashboards;
Miscellaneous tips;
Bonus post: online resources.

These will […]

This is an Excel scatterplot. Each point is one of the 4200 Portuguese civil parishes. The green point shows the active parish and the red ones some parishes that may have a similar profile. Of course, if you select a different parish the red set also changes.
I like this idea of displaying geographic coordinates […]

You can’t write a novel just because you can type. You can’t create a chart just because you know how to do it in Excel. First, you have to know the job, then the tool. Research for best practices in your field. Read what some authors have to say about specific formats and options. Then, […]

Scatterplots are not used by the NY Times because readers simply can’t make sense of them. Don’t oversimplify, but don’t assume that your audience can read a complex chart. Know your audience, and if possible test your charts with a small sample. Know what they expect, deliver that and perhaps a little more. When […]

Suppose you are sharing a list of orders with some co-workers. One of them wants to see the higher sales orders [list]. Another one wants to know how much was exported to France [table]. The next one needs the average items per order [descriptive statistics]. You want to see the growth trend for several products […]