How do I choose the right chart?

Start with the analytical question: comparison, trend, distribution, relationship, composition, geography, flow, uncertainty or exact lookup.

When should I use a bar chart?

Use bars to compare magnitudes across discrete categories, usually with a zero baseline and meaningful sorting.

When should I use a line chart?

Use a line chart for change across ordered, sufficiently continuous time points, with missing periods and forecasts clearly identified.

When is a table better than a chart?

Use a table for exact lookup, many values, mixed measures or an accessible representation that a visual cannot supply alone.

Should pie charts be avoided?

They can work for a few clearly different shares, but bars are usually better for precise comparison or many categories.

How should uncertainty be visualized?

Use clearly labelled intervals, ranges, distributions or scenarios and distinguish forecasts from observed values.

How can chart selection be tested?

Ask representative users to find values and state conclusions, then measure accuracy, time and accessibility in the real context.

Data Visualization

Chart Selection Guide: Choose by Analytical Question

Choose a chart from the question a reader must answer, not from the chart gallery a tool provides. The same dataset can support comparison, trend, distribution, relationship or composition, and each purpose needs a different visual encoding. This guide maps

Ruskin Felix Barar19 December 2025Updated 6 October 202614 min read

Chart Selection Guide: Choose by Analytical Question

Choose a chart from the question a reader must answer, not from the chart gallery a tool provides. The same dataset can support comparison, trend,