Recently, I ran a contest asking you to analyze a bunch of sales data and present your results in charts. We received a total of 78 charts from 45 people. The contest entries had a mind-boggling variety of excel charts, techniques and ideas. It took me a while to go thru all the files and compile the results. Thanks for your patience. In this post, you can find all the charts along with my comments & links to download files.
How to read this article?
This is a very big page. So let me help you out.
- Each of the 45 contestant’s entries are shown in one box. The box shows one of the charts the contestant has made.
- If the contestant has made more than 1 chart, then thumbnails of remaining charts are shown beneath. You can click on thumbnails to enlarge the images.
- For some charts, I have added my comments.
- You can download the file(s) for each contestant’s charts by clicking download links below the image
- If you want to learn how a particular chart is constructed, refer to Related Articles section
- I really liked some of the entries. You can see “Chandoo’s pick” icon on top of such charts.
- This article is big. So get a cup of coffee and enjoy it sip by sip.
Winner of this contest will be announced tomorrow.
[01] Line chart by Aditya
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Smart chart labels » Good color choices, well contrasted |
• Download file | ♥ Smart chart labels |
[02] Column chart by Al
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Interesting presentation » Use of shapes to highlight the message |
• Download file | ♥ Smart chart labels ♥ How to make charts when you have too much data |
[04] Column chart by Ameya
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Interactive charts » Revenue Trend lines |
• Download file • Download file 2 • Download file 3 |
♥ Using form controls ♥ Dynamic Charts with Check Boxes |
[06] Column chart by Anachalee
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Interactive charts » Revenue Trend lines |
• Download file | ♥ Using form controls |
Excel School Online Training Program by Chandoo
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Learn Excel Step by Step » Analyze data like a pro » Become Awesome! |
• Download Excel School Brochure | ♥ Excel School Demos ♥ Excel School FAQS ♥ Excel School Pricing & Signup |
[08] Column chart by Arpita
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Interesting presentation » Not made in Excel |
• Download file | ♥ Using form controls |
[09] Panel chart by Ben
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Panel chart » Average line |
• Download file | ♥ Panel charts |
[11] Panel chart by E
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Panel chart » Very well constructed » Good color choice, well contrasted |
• Download file | ♥ Panel charts |
[12] Dashboard by Ezequiel
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Interactive charts » Multiple types of analysis possible |
• Download file | ♥ Using form controls ♥ Display on-demand details in excel charts ♥ Panel charts |
[13] Line charts by Fredrick
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Good observations » Trend line |
• Download file |
[15] Dashboard by Harshad
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Good structuring of charts » Interactive charts » Interesting observations |
• Download file | ♥ Using form controls ♥ Comparison charts ♥ Donut bar chart |
[16] Panel chart by Jay
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Panel chart » Totals vs. monthly product-wise breakup |
• Download file | ♥ Panel charts |
Excel School Online Training Program by Chandoo
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Learn Excel Step by Step » Analyze data like a pro » Become Awesome! |
• Download Excel School Brochure | ♥ Excel School Demos ♥ Excel School FAQS ♥ Excel School Pricing & Signup |
[17] Panel chart by Jeff
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Good color choices » Panel chart |
• Download file | ♥ Panel charts |
[18] Column chart by Jennifer
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Interesting legend | • Download file | ♥ Smart chart labels |
[19] Column chart by Jochen
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Interactive chart » Lots of analysis possible |
• Download file | ♥ Using form controls ♥ Dynamic Charts with Check Boxes |
[22] Panel chart by Laksiri
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Panel chart » Monthly panels along with overall panel » Good colors |
• Download file | ♥ Panel charts |
[23] Column chart by Lu
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Incell chart | • Download file | ♥ Incell Charts |
[24] Column chart by Lukas
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Very good colors » Interesting chart construction » Table to support additional analysis |
• Download file |
[25] Area chart by Mat
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » totals in second series as a line » Well contrasted labels » Grouping |
• Download file |
[26] Panel chart by Matt
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | • Download file • Download file 2 |
♥ Panel charts |
[28] Column chart by Michael
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Multiple charts for different types of analysis | • Download file |
[29] Column chart by Michael
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Interactive charts » Interesting presentation, lots of analysis possible » Indicator arrows for selected series (clever) |
• Download file | ♥ Using form controls ♥ Display on-demand details in excel charts ♥ Smart chart labels |
[30] Panel chart by Mohammed
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Interesting panel chart construction » Good color choices, well contrasted |
• Download file | ♥ Panel charts |
[31] Column chart by Nadeem
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Interactive charts » Very well constructed, lots of analysis possible » Good colors |
• Download file | ♥ Using form controls ♥ Comparison charts |
[32] Column chart by Noah
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Grouping of data » Good color choices, well contrasted |
• Download file |
[33] Column chart by Nuruddin
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Interactive chart » Lots of analysis possible |
• Download file | ♥ Using form controls ♥ Display on-demand details in excel charts ♥ Dynamic Charts with Check Boxes |
[40] Column chart by Shellie
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Interactive charts » Lots of analysis possible » Well contrasted colors |
• Download file | ♥ Using form controls ♥ Dynamic Charts with Check Boxes |
[41] Column chart by Simon
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Very well constructed interactive chart (requires macros) » On demand details, lots of analysis possible » Good colors |
• Download file | ♥ Using form controls ♥ Display on-demand details in excel charts ♥ Comparison charts |
[43] Panel chart by Tom
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Good color choices » Panel chart » Lots of chart options |
• Download file | ♥ Panel charts |
[44] Column chart by Utami
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Interactive chart | • Download file | ♥ Using form controls |
[45] Column chart by M
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Simple and effective colors » Well contrasted labels |
• Download file |
Excel School Online Training Program by Chandoo
| My comments | Downloads | Related Articles | » Learn Excel Step by Step » Analyze data like a pro » Become Awesome! |
• Download Excel School Brochure | ♥ Excel School Demos ♥ Excel School FAQS ♥ Excel School Pricing & Signup |
Thanks to Everyone
Many thanks to all the participants of this contest. I have really enjoyed going thru your files and understand the charting techniques you have employed. I learned a lot of interesting techniques too, which I will share on this blog during next few weeks.
Special thanks to Ravindra, my assistant, who helped me in compiling all the results and taking screenshots of the charts.
Also, thanks to Hui, for giving his feedback and suggesting few more picks.
Which charts did you like?
As you can see, there are several excellent charts. I liked the about 14 different entries and marked them all with Chandoo’s pick
What about you? Which charts did you like? Please tell us using comments.
Who is the winner?
I will be announcing the winner of this contest by tomorrow (1st of July).
Related Articles
If you want to learn how many of these charts are constructed, then you must go thru these articles.
- Using form controls
- Display on-demand details in excel charts
- Panel charts
- Comparison charts
- Donut bar chart
- Smart chart labels
- How to make charts when you have too much data
- Dynamic Charts with Check Boxes
- Incell Charts
- Sales Dashboards using Excel
- Excel Dashboards – Information, templates & tutorials
- Dynamic & Interactive Charts in Excel
- Excel Charting Examples & Templates
23 Responses to “Learn Top 10 Excel Features”
What it looks like if excel without formula?? 🙂
It would be not excel it would just be fancy tables in which you could just use power point. (Chandoo) would Access be an alternative?
Awesome piece of work!!!
Great article.
Chandoo - my biggest interest in the article was the awesome word-graphic at the top - where did you go to get it done into a shape?
@Rich.. thank you. I used http://www.tagxedo.com/ to generate this word cloud. I took all the comments in the original post, pasted them in tagxedo website and set up the shape etc.
Awesome Chandoo.. You need always needs coffee to start up with. BTW , how did u created the Heart Shaped picture filled with High Repetitive text in it .. Please put it on your Next blog ...
Chandoo, good article. I’ve added a link to it from Connexion – our collection of the most useful and interesting spreadsheet-related articles from the web. See http://www.i-nth.com/resources/connexion
Hi,
Just one small question. Where the hell have been I in the past for not discovering this website sooner?
I've lost a job interview recently where even though I had the subject knowledge, I was not upto their mark in Excel.
Thank you for all the free tips, guidance and for creating this forum environment.
[PS: I've just been through the site for the 1st time, and have signed up for the newsletter. You can expect pretty stupid questions from me soon]
Hy Chandoo, you always inspire me with to explore something new in excel. This data structure table is only for excel 2007 or compatible to 2010. I recently installed latest excel version 2013 in my System and experience problems regarding operating according to previous one. I'm waiting your article relates to that excel version.
Thanks
Awesome article Mr. Chandoo and that is a awesome heart shaped pic you created. Great tips as well.
[...] Learn Top 10 Excel Features | Chandoo.org – Learn Microsoft Excel Online. [...]
Chandoo is awesome..
Thanks, i got better, And i always get 90.50 in my grade card but now i get 96.50 i improved because of the tutorials you gave, Thank You Very Much Chandoo Guy.
Hi chandoo, i am intersted in seeing the video or step by step done procedure of analysing the comments and presenting in the data percentage steps. I think this one would be first step in finding out how generally happens data calculation. Thank you.
As well i would like to know how to get that black shape art of your face which i see in chandoo. I am interested in making it for me.
Nice to see the features considered by Excel users to be most useful. It might be a good idea to also analyze StackOverflow Excel questions to see what keywords appear most often.
Here are my top 10 Excel Features (for advanced users):
http://www.analystcave.com/excel-10-top-excel-features/
Thanks a ton for this it totally helped with my homework ????
Very good effort
Thank you for this. Lots of learning in the links you've provided for this septuagenarian.
Pls send me new post
Dude, your humor ? ?
Loved your work.
Hello Sir,
I am Sanjeev Khakre and i from Indore City, India , I am your big follower and i have watch your videos and learnt a lots of excel trick or function and many more . thanks so much for all of your excellent support.
Your excel knowledge is real awesome.
Thanks
Sanjeev
Your work is excellent but pls willing to know more details about the features of microsoft excel
Chandoo Would Access be a better alternative than VB?