14. Visuals and Their Formatting
14.7 Ribbon Chart
Start with a problem
Amir wants to know whether Dairy kept its number 1 position from April to May, or whether another category overtook it.
Explain simply
A ribbon chart ranks the series in each period: the largest is on top. Ribbons between periods show rank changes.
Show the data
| Category | Apr-2026 (₹) | May-2026 (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Dairy | 700 | 350 |
| Snacks | 200 | 450 |
| Fruits | 0 | 400 |
About this data: This table uses columns: Category, Apr-2026 (₹), May-2026 (₹). This table uses columns: Rank, April, May. This table uses columns: Wrong result, Reason, Correction. Values shown are the lesson examples already on this page (not a new dataset).
Fictional sample data. Practice file: visuals_orders_apr_may_2026.csv (source: src/practice/).
Demonstrate
- Insert Ribbon chart.
- X-axis: Month. Y-axis:
Total Sales. Legend:Category. - Hover each ribbon to see the value and rank.
Show the result
Your result should look like this (fictional sample):
| Rank | April | May |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dairy 700 | Snacks 450 |
| 2 | Snacks 200 | Fruits 400 |
| 3 | Fruits 0 | Dairy 350 |
Explain what happened
For each month Power BI sorts categories by Total Sales and stacks them in that order. Dairy drops from 1st to 3rd, so its ribbon crosses the others.
Explore further
- Use it for 3–6 series; more gets messy.
- A matrix with RANKX (Module 13.17) gives the exact rank numbers.
Detailed reference for this lesson:
Shows rank changes over time: the highest-value series is always on top in each period, and ribbons connect a series across periods.
- Field wells: X-axis, Y-axis, Legend, Tooltips.
- Example: X = Month Name, Y = Total Sales, Legend = Category. See Snacks overtake Beverages in the monsoon months (if your data shows it).
- Avoid when exact values matter or there are many categories.
- Formatting: Ribbons (spacing, transparency, match series colour, border), Columns, Data labels.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
Friends, many students use a ribbon chart for data where ranking doesn't matter. The ribbon chart is about rank changes over time (which category is number 1 each month). If rank isn't the story, a stacked column or line chart is clearer. Practise, and it will feel very easy.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – मराठी
मित्रांनो, बरेच students जिथे ranking ला महत्त्व नाही अशा data साठी ribbon chart वापरतात. Ribbon chart हा काळानुसार होणाऱ्या rank बदलांबद्दल असतो (दर महिन्याला नंबर 1 ला कोणती category आहे). Rank हीच story नसेल तर stacked column किंवा line chart जास्त स्पष्ट असतो. Practice करा, मग एकदम सोपं वाटेल.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – हिंदी
दोस्तों, बहुत से students ऐसे data के लिए ribbon chart इस्तेमाल करते हैं जहाँ ranking का कोई मतलब नहीं. Ribbon chart समय के साथ rank में बदलाव के बारे में है (हर महीने नंबर 1 पर कौन सी category है). अगर rank ही story नहीं है तो stacked column या line chart ज़्यादा साफ़ है. Practice करो, फिर बहुत आसान लगेगा.
Fix common mistakes
| Wrong result | Reason | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Ribbon chart looks random | Too many categories | Filter to the top 5 categories |
| Fruits ribbon missing in April | No rows means no value | Expected: Fruits had no April sale; show items with no data if needed |
| Rank read as value | Height is value, position is rank | Explain both in the title or caption |
Practise independently
Practice task
Make a ribbon chart by Platform per month. Which platform led each month?
Hints
- April: 301 Blinkit 400, 302 Amazon Now 200, 303 Blinkit 300.
Solution
April: Blinkit 700, Amazon Now 200 → Blinkit leads. May: Blinkit 400 (150 + 250 + 0), Amazon Now 800 (450 + 350) → Amazon Now leads.
Think like a professional
Rank changes tell a merchandising story (Dairy fell to third in May). A professional checks whether the fall is real or caused by one cancelled order before presenting it.
Revision card