Introduction
Bar charts are the workhorse of information graphics. They’re perhaps the most common kind of visualization out there. Bar charts are ideal because they don’t require special training to interpret. They’re simple, clear, and easy to understand. But while bar charts may be simple to consume, they can also be challenging to create.
This is the first installment in a series that aims to explain some principles – some subtle, some less so – that you should take into consideration as your design your own bar charts, or consume those designed by others.
Introduction
The first step of any data analysis is to asses your data. Typically, this assessment takes a quantitative form. One might compute summary statistics on a variety of columns: reporting information like mean, mode, or other quantiles. And yet, while such quantitative approaches can be useful, qualitative approaches also have their own merit. In particular, it is helpful to visualize the data. As the adage goes: A picture is worth a thousand words.