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Hi, thanks for the feedback here. We mentioned the interactive display piece in the section on sharing the dashboard. Interactivity is important for a dashboa

Hi, thanks for the feedback here. We mentioned the interactive display piece in the section on sharing the dashboard. Interactivity is important for a dashboard, especially in this day and age.

xapata 8y ago
I noticed you didn't reply to the pie-chart feedback. I'll second that criticism: pie charts are unwise.
- timmiller716 8y ago
  Agree, pie charts may have a narrow, if any, use case, however, some people LOVE them. Maybe not as much as I love commas, apparently.
  - xapata 8y ago
    Artists like pie charts because they're colorful and break the monotony of right angles. Scientists dislike pie charts because they don't convey information well. Who is your audience?
    - airguitardesign 8y ago
      I totally understand the feeling/frustration of pie charts being overused and often where they shouldn't be, and for the most part, I agree. I think it's always a good idea to stop and ask, "can a different chart convey the information better?" And the answer will almost always be "absolutely" when looking at a pie chart, no denying that. I will throw these two cases out for consideration of where a pie chart may be acceptable though: 1) As you mentioned, they're visually pleasing. No, that doesn't make up for when it's hard to read data, but I think a case can be made for snagging people's attention and getting eyeballs on a report you send out. If a pie chart is the hook that gets people interested in your data, maybe it's a sacrifice worth making. Artists aren't the only people who can find things visually appealing. 2) Basically, storytelling. There's no rule that says you can't show the same/similar data in different ways to help tell a good story. In some situations, it could make sense to start with a high-level visual breakdown of a group, and then use more detailed charts to get into the details you want to focus on (like how different segments relate). Or maybe the story I'm trying to tell has a ton of sub-groups which all pale in comparison to one dominant one. I think a pie chart visualizes that situation (where exact details aren't important) pretty well. I ultimately just don't think it's a binary thing, where only artists will enjoy having a little visual variety and that any and every pie chart is a 100% waste of everyone's time. Most of the time, they're silly and an excuse for different shapes and colors, but I like to think even pie charts have their place in data visualization.

Hi, thanks for the feedback here. We mentioned the interactive display piece in the section on sharing the dashboard. Interactivity is important for a dashboard, especially in this day and age.

xapata 8y ago

I noticed you didn't reply to the pie-chart feedback. I'll second that criticism: pie charts are unwise.

timmiller716 8y ago
Agree, pie charts may have a narrow, if any, use case, however, some people LOVE them. Maybe not as much as I love commas, apparently.
- xapata 8y ago
  Artists like pie charts because they're colorful and break the monotony of right angles. Scientists dislike pie charts because they don't convey information well. Who is your audience?
  - airguitardesign 8y ago
    I totally understand the feeling/frustration of pie charts being overused and often where they shouldn't be, and for the most part, I agree. I think it's always a good idea to stop and ask, "can a different chart convey the information better?" And the answer will almost always be "absolutely" when looking at a pie chart, no denying that. I will throw these two cases out for consideration of where a pie chart may be acceptable though: 1) As you mentioned, they're visually pleasing. No, that doesn't make up for when it's hard to read data, but I think a case can be made for snagging people's attention and getting eyeballs on a report you send out. If a pie chart is the hook that gets people interested in your data, maybe it's a sacrifice worth making. Artists aren't the only people who can find things visually appealing. 2) Basically, storytelling. There's no rule that says you can't show the same/similar data in different ways to help tell a good story. In some situations, it could make sense to start with a high-level visual breakdown of a group, and then use more detailed charts to get into the details you want to focus on (like how different segments relate). Or maybe the story I'm trying to tell has a ton of sub-groups which all pale in comparison to one dominant one. I think a pie chart visualizes that situation (where exact details aren't important) pretty well. I ultimately just don't think it's a binary thing, where only artists will enjoy having a little visual variety and that any and every pie chart is a 100% waste of everyone's time. Most of the time, they're silly and an excuse for different shapes and colors, but I like to think even pie charts have their place in data visualization.