Waterfall Chart
History of Waterfall Popular as the flying bricks chart due to its apparent suspension of columns (bricks) in mid-air, the waterfall chart is also known as a Mario Chart. Often in finance, it has also been referred to as a bridge. The waterfall chart is often used by strategy consultants to show the sources of […]
Venn Diagram
History of Venn Diagram John Venn first described these diagrams in his 1880 paper “On the Diagrammatic and Mechanical Representation of Propositions and Reasonings.” Roots trace back 600 years to Ramon Llull (1200s) and Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz (late 1600s), with similarities to Leonhard Euler’s 18th-century diagrams. Venn diagram showing the uppercase glyphs shared by […]
Treemap
History of Treemap Ben Shneiderman is considered to be the inventor of Treemaps. He created treemaps as a way to visualize a vast file directory on a computer, without taking up too much space on the screen. Treemap has subsequently become an essential method for displaying hierarchical data using nested figures and rectangles in information […]
Sunburst: A Circular Visualization Technique
History of Sunburst Visualization Sunburst charts likely evolved as an extension of pie charts to visualize subunits within primary segments. Also known as multilevel pies or nested pie charts, sunbursts combine multiple pie charts into a single, hierarchical visualization. The earliest known pie charts date back to 1801, first documented in William Playfair’s Statistical Breviary. […]
Stacked Bar Chart
History of Stacked Bar Chart Stacked bar charts evolved from early bar charts popularised by William Playfair. Over time, they expanded into more complex forms such as grouped and stacked bar chart variations to handle multi-dimensional comparisons. The stacked bar charts not only allow us to see the category totals first but also get a […]
Pie Chart
History of Pie Chart William Playfair first wielded pie charts in his 1801 Statistical Breviary, mapping the Turkish Empire’s land across Asia, Europe, and Africa. French engineer Charles Joseph Minard advanced them in 1858, tracing cattle flows to Paris. Florence Nightingale then popularized the form through her famous polar area diagrams showing mortality causes—proving pie […]
Circular Barplot in Data Visualization
Circular barplots are ideal when you want to present data in an engaging, compact format, especially when dealing with cyclical or grouped data. However, understanding the limitations in readability and axis interpretation is important to avoid miscommunication. History of Circular Barplot Circular barplots evolved from traditional bar charts to present data with enhanced visual appeal. […]
Bar Chart in Data Visualisations for Better Decision-Making
Bar charts are a fundamental tool in data visualization, widely used for their simplicity and effectiveness in making comparisons across categories. Following best practices in bar chart design – such as starting the value axis at zero, maintaining consistent bar widths, and using clear labels, ensures accurate and honest representation of data. Whether you’re creating […]
Area Chart in Data Visualization
There are different types of area chart, including stacked and 100% stacked charts, which layer multiple data series to illustrate their contributions to a whole. This makes area charts especially useful in scenarios where the relationship between components and totals is important, such as revenue versus expenses or segment-wise sales over time. Tools like Power […]