8.12 Choosing the Right Chart
| Your question | Best chart | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Compare categories (cities, stores) | Column / Bar (sorted) | Pie with many slices |
| Ranking (Top 10 products) | Sorted bar | Unsorted column |
| Trend over time | Line (many periods), Column (few) | Pie, scatter |
| Part of whole (≤ 5 parts) | Pie / Doughnut, 100% stacked bar | 3D pie |
| Parts over time | Stacked column / Stacked area | Many pies |
| Two measures, different scales | Combo with secondary axis | Two unrelated charts |
| Relationship between two numbers | Scatter (+ trendline) | Line |
| Distribution | Histogram, Box & Whisker | Column of raw values |
| Start → end bridge | Waterfall | Stacked column |
| Stages that shrink | Funnel | Pie |
| Hierarchy share | Treemap, Sunburst | Nested pies |
| Geography | Filled Map | Map when geography isn't the point |
| Trend inside a table | Sparklines | Many tiny charts |
| Single KPI | Big number card (cell) with ▲▼ | A chart with one bar |
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
Chart nivadtana khup students "konta chart chaan disto?" asa vichar kartat. Tyaivaji "prashna kay aahe?" – compare, trend, share, relationship, distribution – asa vichara, aani ha table vapra. Ekach dashboard var 7-8 vegle chart types nakot; 3-4 types purese.
Practice task
For each of these questions write the best chart and one sentence why: city ranking, monthly trend, payment mode share, delivery time distribution, sales bridge Oct→Nov.