Comments on: 3 Worthwhile Alternatives to the Pie Chart http://flowingdata.com/2008/08/19/3-worthwhile-alternatives-to-the-pie-chart/ Strength in Numbers Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:48:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Weekly Links 2008-August-22 | PTS Blog http://flowingdata.com/2008/08/19/3-worthwhile-alternatives-to-the-pie-chart/#comment-17626 Weekly Links 2008-August-22 | PTS Blog Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:22:09 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=902#comment-17626 [...] 3 Worthwhile Alternatives to the Pie Chart - One worthwhile and two also-ran alternatives to a pie chart (from FlowingData). [...] [...] 3 Worthwhile Alternatives to the Pie Chart – One worthwhile and two also-ran alternatives to a pie chart (from FlowingData). [...]

]]> By: Dan http://flowingdata.com/2008/08/19/3-worthwhile-alternatives-to-the-pie-chart/#comment-13734 Dan Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:50:36 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=902#comment-13734 These visualizations feel like a solution looking for a problem. It's not clear to me how any of these visualizations improves on a simple table of data listing counts and percentages. It takes up less space and clearly communicates everything one needs to know about the data. All of these charts seem like window dressing. These visualizations feel like a solution looking for a problem. It’s not clear to me how any of these visualizations improves on a simple table of data listing counts and percentages. It takes up less space and clearly communicates everything one needs to know about the data. All of these charts seem like window dressing.

]]> By: More on the Pie Chart http://flowingdata.com/2008/08/19/3-worthwhile-alternatives-to-the-pie-chart/#comment-13730 More on the Pie Chart Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:05:51 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=902#comment-13730 [...] users), continues to be examined. The excellent statistical visualization / infographics blog, flowingdata.com, recently discussed alternatives to the pie chart when reviewing the results of a reader survey. [...] [...] users), continues to be examined. The excellent statistical visualization / infographics blog, flowingdata.com, recently discussed alternatives to the pie chart when reviewing the results of a reader survey. [...]

]]> By: consultant http://flowingdata.com/2008/08/19/3-worthwhile-alternatives-to-the-pie-chart/#comment-13701 consultant Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:22:52 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=902#comment-13701 Waterfall Charts - most efficient way to visualize the buildup and composition of data. As an added bonus you can go up past 100% and then build back down. Waterfall Charts – most efficient way to visualize the buildup and composition of data. As an added bonus you can go up past 100% and then build back down.

]]> By: Vlad http://flowingdata.com/2008/08/19/3-worthwhile-alternatives-to-the-pie-chart/#comment-13698 Vlad Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:18:57 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=902#comment-13698 g1sh, As a rule, I agree about 100%. As a practical rule application, though, nobody will be perceiving the whole with that many categories. As Alex said, 2-4 (I'd say, up to 5) is max for that. This specific layout should be driven by what the presenter need to stress out. And, as I said, TreeView is the best in this case IMHO. g1sh, As a rule, I agree about 100%. As a practical rule application, though, nobody will be perceiving the whole with that many categories. As Alex said, 2-4 (I’d say, up to 5) is max for that. This specific layout should be driven by what the presenter need to stress out. And, as I said, TreeView is the best in this case IMHO.

]]> By: Alex http://flowingdata.com/2008/08/19/3-worthwhile-alternatives-to-the-pie-chart/#comment-13695 Alex Wed, 20 Aug 2008 04:31:19 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=902#comment-13695 I'm not a knee-jerk pie chart hater, though for the most part I avoid it. Generally I have two rules of thumb: 1) never use multiple pie charts in an attempt to compare responses - too confusing; and 2) don't use them when there are an excessive number of categories (in fact, I prefer pie-charts when there are only 2-4 categories). The pie chart here is perfectly fine, but for my aesthetic tastes there are too many categories and I'd prefer the horizontal bars. I’m not a knee-jerk pie chart hater, though for the most part I avoid it. Generally I have two rules of thumb: 1) never use multiple pie charts in an attempt to compare responses – too confusing; and 2) don’t use them when there are an excessive number of categories (in fact, I prefer pie-charts when there are only 2-4 categories).

The pie chart here is perfectly fine, but for my aesthetic tastes there are too many categories and I’d prefer the horizontal bars.

]]> By: g1sh http://flowingdata.com/2008/08/19/3-worthwhile-alternatives-to-the-pie-chart/#comment-13684 g1sh Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:49:35 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=902#comment-13684 Vlad, shouldn't the stacked bar chart represent 100%? by having it outside you are implying that it's a separate group and not part of the whole. Vlad, shouldn’t the stacked bar chart represent 100%? by having it outside you are implying that it’s a separate group and not part of the whole.

]]> By: Nathan Yau http://flowingdata.com/2008/08/19/3-worthwhile-alternatives-to-the-pie-chart/#comment-13680 Nathan Yau Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:08:27 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=902#comment-13680 Vlad - thanks for the rework. bubbly. Vlad – thanks for the rework. bubbly.

]]> By: Vlad http://flowingdata.com/2008/08/19/3-worthwhile-alternatives-to-the-pie-chart/#comment-13679 Vlad Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:26:35 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=902#comment-13679 TreeView would be helpful for interactive presentations - when one can get the category/description via a tool tip. Otherwise the stacked bar chart is my preference. I only would Distinguish the "All" category a bit more - kind of like in the referenced PDF (click my name to get it). TreeView would be helpful for interactive presentations – when one can get the category/description via a tool tip. Otherwise the stacked bar chart is my preference. I only would Distinguish the “All” category a bit more – kind of like in the referenced PDF (click my name to get it).

]]> By: Dan http://flowingdata.com/2008/08/19/3-worthwhile-alternatives-to-the-pie-chart/#comment-13676 Dan Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:54:30 +0000 http://flowingdata.com/?p=902#comment-13676 My choices are the pie and stacked bar chart - "best" would depend on what I wanted to emphasize. The stacked bar chart is better for relating categories against each other, while the pie chart does a better job of describing the relative importance of a single category to the whole. For example, from the stacked bar chart I clearly see that "statistical visualization" received the largest share of the votes by a wide margin. However, from the pie chart I see that it did not really dominate the voting. My choices are the pie and stacked bar chart – “best” would depend on what I wanted to emphasize. The stacked bar chart is better for relating categories against each other, while the pie chart does a better job of describing the relative importance of a single category to the whole. For example, from the stacked bar chart I clearly see that “statistical visualization” received the largest share of the votes by a wide margin. However, from the pie chart I see that it did not really dominate the voting.

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