What works against pie charts:

  • Difficult to compare slice sizes & values, especially when they are close in size.
  • Can unnecessarily take up the readers time trying to match each slice with the correct category.
  • Can become messy.
  • Can be easily manipulated to give false impressions
    (Yes. Even Steve Jobs did it, but people have caught on…)

    What works in their favor:

    • Can be created quicker than your boss can blink.
    • It’s a circle. which means it shows the full picture.
    • Require minimal additional explanation.

    A compromise has to be made. I find Stephen Few’s suggestion (see video) to be just that!

    Published on: February 24, 2016
    Last modified: March 8, 2023
    Category: Dashboards, Charts & Features,Excel
    Tagged as: , , , , , , , ,
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