This is a quick, fun and elegant way to make info-graphics in Excel. Learn how to use shape fill technique for charts in MS Excel to create engaging output. You will learn how to make something like this:
How to create such info-graphic charts in Excel?
The process for creating these charts is very simple. I made 8 minute video explaining the process for making info-graphic charts in Excel. Watch it below or read on for step-by-step tutorial.
Step-by-Step tutorial – Making such charts:
Step 1: Setup your data
Let’s say you have the data as shown above. To create the house styled chart, simply add 3 columns. We can keep a constant value for Base and Top series and calculate floors by =Value-Base-Top formula.
Step 2: Create regular column chart
This is simple. Just select the three columns we just calculated and insert a stacked column chart. You will get this:
Step 3: Fill it up with shapes
Now go ahead and import (or draw) shapes for top, floors and bottom part of the house.
Once you have three images / shapes, select each image, press CTRL+C to copy it and select the corresponding chart element and press CTRL+V to fill it up.
You will get this:
Step 4: Stack the shape fill
Whenever you apply shape fill to charts, Excel will automatically stretch the image. But we need to stack it. Select the chart series and go to format options (Ctrl+1).
Here, change the fill option from “Stretch” to “Stack and Scale with” and specify a number that suits your images. For the house example, we can use 100 (as each floor would be same height as the bottom or top floors).
Step 5: There is no step 5. You are done!
That is it. Our chart is ready. Slap an interesting title and caption you are good to go.
More examples:
Here are two more examples of this technique.
Download sample info-graphics in Excel workbook
Please click here to download sample workbook with info-graphic style charts in Excel. You can examine all the steps, data, formulas and charts in the file. Feel free to customize or reuse the concept for your work.
More Excel Charting Tips
If you like this tip, you will love these ideas too.
Do you like shape-fill technique? Share your feedback
Do you like this technique? I love it, but in moderation. Such info-graphic style charts can engage your audience and present data creatively. That said, if you use wrong shapes or symbols, it can quickly become annoying.
What about you? Do you like this idea? Please share your feedback in comments.
12 Responses to “Analyzing Search Keywords using Excel : Array Formulas in Real Life”
Very interesting Chandoo, as always. Personally I find endless uses for formulae such as {=sum(if(B$2:B$5=$A2,$C$2$C$5))}, just the flexibility in absolute and relative relative referencing and multiple conditions gives it the edge over dsum and others methods.
I've added to my blog a piece on SQL in VBA that I think might be of interest to you http://aviatormonkey.wordpress.com/2009/02/10/lesson-one-sql-in-vba/ . It's a bit techie, but I think you might like it.
Keep up the good work, aviatormonkey
Hi Chandoo,
You might find this coded solution I posted on a forum interesting.
http://www.excelforum.com/excel-programming/680810-create-tag-cloud-in-vba-possible.html
[...] under certain circumstances. One of the tips involved arranging search keywords in excel using Array Forumlas. Basically, if you need to know how frequent a word or group of keywords appear, you can use this [...]
@Aviatormonkey: Thanks for sharing the url. I found it a bit technical.. but very interesting.
@Andy: Looks like Jarad, the person who emailed me this problem has posted the same in excelforum too. Very good solution btw...
Realy great article
"You can take this basic model and extend it to include parameters like number of searches each key phrase has, how long the users stay on the site etc. to enhance the way tag cloud is generated and colored."
How would you go about doing this? I think it would need some VB
Hi,
I found the usage very interesting, but is giving me hard time because the LENs formula that use ranges are not considering the full range, in other words, the LEN formula is only bringing results from the respective "line" cell.
Using the example, when I place the formula to calculate the frequency for "windows" brings me only 1 result, not 11 as displayed in the example. It seems that the LEN formula using ranges is considering the respective line within the range, not the full range.
Any hint?
@Thiago
You have to enter the formula as an Array Formula
Enter the Formula and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter
Not just Enter
Thank you, Hui! I couldn't work out how this didn't work
is there a limit to the number of lines it can analyse.
Ie i am trying to get this to work on a list of sentances 1500 long.
@Gary
In Excel 2010/2013 Excel is only limited by available memory,
So just give it a go
As always try on a copy of the file first if you have any doubts
Apologies if I am missing something, but coudn't getting frequency be easier with Countif formula. Something like this - COUNTIF(Range with text,"*"&_cell with keyword_&"*")
Apologies if I missed, but what is the Array Formula to:
1. Analyze a list of URL's or a list of word phrases to understand frequency;
2. List in a nearby column from most used words to least used words;
3. Next to the list of words the count of occurrences.