Multiple Vertical bar chart

• As you add more series data, the graphs become complex to understand.
• Use such graphs only if necessary – depending on the audience - it may be
wise to split them into multiple graphs

Stacked Vertical bar chart

• Very limited use case – Be cautious, while using such charts – visually
challenging to compare different sub categories
• Allows for comparison of totals across categories and its sub-categories

Waterfall chart
• Useful to show how a metric has increased/ decreased over time
• Waterfall chart enables to show a start point, increases/ decreases and the
resultant end point

Horizontal bar chart

• Single go-to graph for categorical data because it is extremely easy to read
• Useful also if the category names are long
• As humans, we tend to read from left to right, making z’s with our eyes

Horizontal bar chart – When to use?

• Categorical data
• When you want the audience to read the category names and compare
their measures
• Readers tend to view the data – left to right and go zig-zag across the
horizontal bar chart. If the biggest category is most important, you can
place that at the top of the chart and order the chart in descending order or
vice versa.

Other types of graphs

• There are numerous types of graphs out there apart from the ones we have
discussed so far – certainly this is not an exhaustive list !
• However, the ones we have discussed so far should meet the majority of
your daily business needs