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Data Graphics

Tables

Tables display numbers or words arranged in a grid. They are good for situations where exact numbers need to be presented like:

  • Describing the components of a program's implementation. 
  • Displaying attrition. 
  • Displaying pre- and post-test results. 
  • Presenting correlations or comparisons. 

Table Example
(Not actual data)

TIP: CONVERTING WORDS TO SYMBOLS CAN SOMETIMES MAKE TABLES MORE INTERESTING AND UNDERSTANDABLE. ALTHOUGH SOME DETAILS ARE LOST, THE OVERALL MESSAGE CAN BECOME MUCH CLEARER.

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Line Graphs

Line graphs show sets of data points plotted over a time period and connected by straight lines. Line graphs are useful for displaying:

  • Any set of figures that needs to be shown over time.
  • Results from two or more groups compared over time.
  • Data trends over time.

Standard deviations may be displayed on line graphs by using a deviation bar which extends below and above the mean.

 

Line Graph Example
(Not actual data)

TIP: LINE GRAPHS MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE DATA GRAPHICS, IF THERE ARE TOO MANY DATA POINTS, SMALL VARIATIONS IN VALUES, OR VALUES THAT JUMP FROM VERY SMALL TO VERY LARGE.

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Bar Graphs

Bar graphs show quantities represented by horizontal or vertical bars and are useful for displaying:

  • The activity of one thing through time.
  • Several categories of results at once.
  • Data sets with few observations.

Standard deviations may be displayed on bar graphs by using a deviation bar which extends beyond the top of the data bar.

Divided bar graphs are a variation that, similar to pie charts, show proportional relationships between data within each bar. In addition, divided bar graphs can show changes over time.

 

Divided Bar Graph Example
(Not actual data)

TIP: DIVIDED BAR GRAPHS CAN ILLUSTRATE SEVERAL IDEAS AT THE SAME TIME.

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Pie Charts

Pie charts show proportions in relation to a whole, with each wedge representing a percentage of the total. Pie charts are useful for displaying:

  • The component parts of a whole in percentages.
  • Budget, geographic or population analysis.

Pie Chart Example
(Not actual data)
 

TIP: TOO MANY DIVISIONS IN A PIE CHART CAN MAKE IT HARD TO LABEL AND READ. IF POSSIBLE, LIMIT THE NUMBER OF DIVISIONS TO EIGHT OR LESS.

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Diagrams

Diagrams can take many forms. Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) charts, Critical Path Method (CPM) diagrams and Gantt charts are examples of specialized diagram formats designed for showing complex processes and projects. Organizational diagrams show relative positions, roles and responsibilities within an organization. Time lines provide historical perspectives or assist with future planning. Exploded diagrams show parts and details that are usually hidden. Maps and floor plans that include data as symbols or shading are some other examples of useful diagrams. In general, diagrams can used for showing:

  • Ideas, facts, priorities and processes.
  • Where things are located or how they work.
  • Relationships when quantitative information is not the primary focus.


     


Diagram Example
(Not actual data)
 

TIP: LABEL DIAGRAM PARTS CLEARLY AND DIRECTLY. WHENEVER PRACTICAL, PLACE LABELS NEAR THE ITEMS THEY IDENTIFY INSTEAD OF IN A LEGEND.

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Data Graphics References

For more information about data graphics, refer to:

  • Designer's Guide to Creating Charts and Diagrams, by Nigel Holmes. New York, New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1991.
  • Envisioning Information, by Edward R. Tufte. Cheshire, Connecticut: Graphics Press. 1990.
  • The Presentation Design Book: Projecting a Good Image with Your Desktop Computer edited by Margaret Y. Rabb. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Ventana Press, Inc., 1990.
  • The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, by Edward R. Tufte. Cheshire, Connecticut: Graphics Press. 1992.

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