Bella consults

Visualization often focuses on changes in shares which are compared to a total. Stacked column graphs which add up to 100 % are a common chart type. But not for more than three shares at once. Readability is becoming too bad. Even three cause problems.

Shares of channels for selling used cars: used car dealers, new car dealers and private

My eye has to grasp the height of the top-most columns from the top down. The columns in the middle are even worse. My eye keeps jumping up and down to grasp their height. The source of the problem: the top line symbolizes 100 %. This is also plain to any reader, if I tell him beforehand that everything adds up to 100 %. Thus, no need to focus the design of the graph on this convention.

Option 1: Columns in a Graphic Table

Option 2: Sparklines in a Graphic Table

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 15th, 2007 at 1:52 pm and is filed under Musings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.