Certainly one of the most difficult parts of communicating the findings of a handful of data is finding the best way to represent it.  Certainly, the right type of graph will make the insights leap out to the reader, while the wrong representation will smother the findings in complexity.  Our team picked up a bunch of great tips from Juice Analytics to help the presenter display their findings in the best light.

To start, you must determine exactly what metrics you are showing and where the emphasis should be (relationships, values, change over time, etc.).  Next, you need to assess your options and determine which one is most effective at emphasizing your chosen data.

For example, represent data over time with a simple line graph, and display comparisons of two different results on related values using variations of the traditional bar graph. Lay out unrelated values in a simple table, and the distribution of an aggregate amount (sales for example) looks clearest in the universally-understood pie chart.

These rules aren’t in stone, of course, and a certain level of judgment must be exercised in different situations.  However, use a chart like the one below (we did mention there are a lot of styles to choose from) from www.extremepresentation.com as a good jumping off point to wade through the many options for graphical choices.  Also, visit Juice Analytics’ breakdown of this difficult topic for more tips on selecting the ideal graph.