What you'll learn to do: Discuss how to most effectively use charts, diagrams, and other graphics in business messages and identify potential sources for these visual aids When you communicate data, you can’t just throw a whole bunch of numbers on a page and expect that readers will understand what you want to say. Charts, tables, and graphs help communicators organize that data in a way that helps their audiences understand the story the data tells and, hopefully,
interpret it correctly. Show
Learning Outcome
Tables, Charts, and InfographicsIn this age of information, there are huge amounts of data to process and an equally impressive number of graphs and charts you can use to tell the data’s story. Here are some of the more commonly used graphs and the kinds of stories they can help you tell. Practice QuestionNumerical Data ChartsLet's talk about a few of the most common types of numerical charts:
Bar GraphsBar graphs are used to compare categories. The x-axis (the horizontal line at the bottom of a graph) is usually used to show the categories: in this case, countries with universal healthcare expenses for 2015. The y-axis (the vertical line) isn’t marked here, but it’s clearly showing dollars spent in millions. The taller the bar, the more dollars were spent. This chart clearly shows that the United States spends more on health care per citizen than other countries. This is clearly identified on this chart with bars in contrasting colors. You can’t help but notice it—it breaks pattern and it’s a bold color that draws the eye. Figure 1. An example of a bar graphLine GraphsLike bar graphs, line graphs compare categories, but they’re most often used to show trends. With the x-axis frequently showing the passage of time, the graphed data points will show an upward or downward trend of the categories in question. Figure 2. An example of a line graphThe line graph above illustrates social media traffic trends. Each social media organization is represented by a different colored line. The x-axis shows the passage of time, and the y-axis shows the percentage of media traffic each organization is capturing. The graph shows that Facebook traffic is trending up, while Pinterest has experienced some ups and downs. Third-place Twitter traffic is relatively flat. Pie ChartsFigure 3. An example of a pie chart Pie charts show the composition of data, or the pieces of a whole. It can be as simple as “the team here is
composed of 50 percent men and 50 percent women” or “Our sales are made up of 30 percent fiction books and 70 percent non-fiction.” Stacked Comparison ChartsYou can compare categories with a “pie chart” approach, incorporating the composition factor in a variety of ways. The categories in this chart are represented by bars, but the bars themselves are composition charts. Each bar is valued at 100%, and the colored blocks represent different levels of pet ownership within the population. Figure 4. An example of a stacked bar graphSimilarly, the line graph below is “stacked” to show the level of sales based on product type. You’re seeing a trend as well as a portion of a whole – comparing and viewing composition. Figure 5. An example of a stacked line graphNon-Numerical Data ChartsThe charts above are very handy when your data is numeric. But there are charts for other types of data. Let's talk about a few of the most common types of non-numerical charts.
Venn DiagramsA Venn diagram shows a comparison of two different categories and the items they have in common. The diagram in Figure 6 shows us the different types of image types that can be safely shared on the Internet. Figure 6. An example of a Venn diagramWherever the circles overlap represents a shared characteristic. For example, JPG and PNG files both have a large color palette, so they overlap in that area. "Web safe" is a characteristic shared by all three, so it's in the middle where all the circles overlap. Areas of each circle that do not overlap represent characteristics unique to each file type—something they don't share with any other file type represented. Flow Charts Flow charts show a process. Flow charts document a sequence of events from start to finish so that the process can be documented, followed, and managed. You can see at the top there is an idea that leads to an experiment, and then the results determine which path is taken. If the experiment is successful or unsuccessful, different paths will be chosen. Along the path of the flow chart, all alternatives are presented and choices are made between them. Your eye follows the path from start to finish for every part of the scenario. Gantt ChartA Gantt chart is a timeline. Multiple projects can be added to the timeline with start and finish dates, and milestones and deadlines are also reflected. This chart is used to determine how long a project will take, the resources needed, and the order in which tasks need to be completed. Figure 8. An example of a Gantt chartIn Figure 8, you have two different teams running one project. The Market Team (red) completes the market research and defines specifications by the week of July 23rd (the date of the first milestone). Then, the Planning Team (blue) takes over with the overall architecture and project planning and is responsible for hitting that second milestone on August 6th. As you can see, the Market and Planning Teams have additional work to contribute even after their milestones are hit, and the project is not complete until the end of November. Organizational Charts Organizational charts (sometimes call hierarchy charts) show the people in an organization
and their reporting relationships. Usually, the organizational chart will have a chairman or CEO at the top, followed by a team of presidents and vice presidents, and then their direct reports, and so on. An organizational chart is usually created and maintained by human resource professionals who wants a visual view of their organization’s structure and reporting relationships so they can make better decisions about leveraging the company’s talent. PictographsPictographs use symbols and images to convey data, information, or ideas. The pictographs in Figure 9 are actually part of a resume and signal what kind of information can be found next to each pictograph (phone number, address, Twitter handle, and email respectively). This makes it easier for a recruiter to view and pick out the necessary contact information. Other pictograms can convey processes (like the instructions to build IKEA furniture) or information (like when the weather app on your phone tells you it’s going to rain today by posting a picture of a rain cloud). Infographics Similarly, infographics use pictures, but they also incorporate data and words, all to explain a single point. Infographics can be used to make a complex subject a little simpler to
understand, particularly when there are more than two or three factors to consider. They can also be used to compare two or more categories and make your data more interesting and eye catching. Even More Charts and Graphs This is not an all-inclusive list of the kinds of charts and graphs available. If you work in the science arena, you may find yourself
using scatter charts or heat maps. Statisticians might be reaching for a trellis chart or even a function graph. Learn what graphs your industry relies on most and take the time to familiarize yourself with them so you can use these important visual communication tools to your advantage. Making Charts and GraphsAs we mentioned earlier in this module, all graphs and charts that you see on the internet are someone else’s property, and using them in your work is stealing. But there’s little reason to use someone else’s chart—you’re creating your own chart to communicate your own data! Here are a few tools that can help you create something great:
Tables A communicator can also use tables to display data. Tables can be formatted for words or for numerical data.
They can be used for comparing data, or when one item has several data points associated with it.
Table 2 is a bit more complex, and because of that, the data is not quite as accessible to the reader. But the data is complex as well, and if it’s going to be displayed for ease of review, this seems like a decent choice. Table 2 shows the results of a survey where participants were asked to rank eight speakers (a male and a female of different English Language dialects) according to their professionalism, intelligence, education, friendliness, and sociability. The response rates are shown for male and female speakers, and then an average is calculated for each dialect.
Tables help you manage more complex sets of data. A table can be used if you’re looking to display individual values, if values are being compared, or if data is going to be shown and then summarized. They won’t convey your story to the reader as quickly as a graph might, but you will still be conveying a large amount of information in an easy-to-understand way. Matching Graphics and Objectives It can be difficult to determine what graph or chart to
use when. Some are for numbers, some are for words… So many charts, so little time! Now, was that easier than writing it all out? Practice QuestionPlacement, Style, and ColoringOnce you’ve decided what graph or chart to use, we need to make sure it fits with our visual media usage standards. It needs to make your message more accessible by being:
Let’s build a pie
chart and apply each of these standards to it as we go along. Figure 1 is definitely not clean
and simple. There is so much to look at here that it’s hard to see anything. No one will find this useful. In fact, a rule of thumb for pie charts is that if you have more than ten categories, you should present the information differently. (There’s something called an exploding pie chart if you want to check that out.) Now we’re getting somewhere! This is a much easier chart to read.
We can see at a glance that nearly half of our employees go to a movie theater owned by AAA, and smaller portions see films at the BBB and CCC theaters. This information has become way more accessible for the reader. Figure 3 a bit more persuasive.
This immediately tells the reader “AAA Complexes are our employees’ favorite movie theater.” Practice QuestionAdditional Resources
Captions and Titles Most of the time, putting the
data into graph form isn’t quite enough. In fact, it’s just the start. You created this graph to help you tell the story of your data, and to ensure your message gets across, you need to be clever about the captions and titles you include. watch itThe video below is a demonstration about how to make a graph tell your story by making it easier to read and making the title active: Captions usually indicate the source of information. If your sources and communications are not produced by people within your company, then this is an important step. Captioning the source gives your information credibility and strengthens your story. Practice QuestionYou can also use captions to convey other pertinent information. You may want to include the sample size of a survey the graph is illustrating or additional background information about the data (as shown in Figure 1). Using captions in this manner helps the reader draw the right conclusion. Figure 1. Unemployment Rate by Demographic Group. (a) By gender, 1972–2016. Unemployment rates for men used to be lower than unemployment rates for women, but in recent decades, the two rates have been very close, often—and especially during and soon after the Great Recession—with the unemployment rate for men somewhat higher. (b) By race and ethnicity, 1972–2016. Although unemployment rates for all groups tend to rise and fall together, the unemployment rate for blacks is typically about twice as high as that for whites, while the unemployment rate for Hispanics is in between. (Source: www.bls.gov) A caption on a graph can go badly when there is more information captioned than is of interest to your audience, or if information included in the caption would be better displayed elsewhere. Imagine if the graph above, which shows the percent of the world’s gross domestic product from 1700–2000, looked more like Figure 3: Figure 3. Percentage of World Gross Domestic Product by Country. You will note that (1) India was officially under British rule starting in 1858, when their entire GDP was transferred to the UK. India gained its Independence in 1947 after WWII. (2) The US was colonized by the British and was not its own country until 1776.Now the title is included in the caption, as well as some information about British colonization. How could we make it a little easier for the audience to absorb that information? Figure 4. It should be noted that India's GDP was actually considered in the UK's totals from 1858 to 1947.Figure 4 is even better. Now the graph is titled, and those instances of colonization are marked on the timeline. However, let's imagine the author is focusing on India in their report or presentation. In that case, the note about the colonization of the United States isn't quite relevant and should be trimmed out (Figure 5). Figure 5. It should be noted that India's GDP was actually considered in the UK's totals from 1858 to 1947. Much better! Now the graph shows only the information relevant to the point the creator is
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Is a commonly used tool for showing how the parts of a whole are distributed?Pie charts are used to show parts of a whole. A pie chart represents numbers in percentages, and the total sum of all the divided segments equals 100 percent.
Which of the following is a systematic arrangement of data in columns and rows?Q. Tabular representation of data is a method of systematic and logical arrangement of data in the form of rows and columns.
Which of the following is a definition of data visualization?Data visualization is the graphical representation of information and data. By using visual elements like charts, graphs, and maps, data visualization tools provide an accessible way to see and understand trends, outliers, and patterns in data.
Which section of a report will introduce why the subject matter is important?The Introduction
You will introduce your overview of the topic, your main points of information, and why this subject is important. You can introduce the current understanding and background information about the topic.
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