Changing stubborn opinions with visualizations [case study]
We, analysts take pride in the fact that we tell stories. But what if you have a boss, client or colleague who wouldn’t buy the story?
This is a problem we face often. Let’s say your boss has stubborn opinion about something, like more advertising leads to more sales. You know the data doesn’t support this theory. But how do you change your boss’ mind?
Here is an interesting way, showcased in NY Times recently.
Use arrow keys to select small, unreachable chart series [quick tip]
Here is a fairly annoying problem.
Imagine a chart showing both sales & customer data. Sales numbers are large and customer numbers are small. So when you make a chart with both of these, selecting the smaller series (customers) becomes very difficult.
In such cases, you can use arrow keys – as shown above.
CP032: Rules for making legendary column charts
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In the 32nd session of Chandoo.org podcast, let’s make legendary column charts.
What is in this session?
Column charts are everywhere. As analysts, we are expected to create flawless, strikingly beautiful & insightful column charts all the time. Do you know the simple rules that can help you create legendary column charts?
That is our topic for this podcast session.
In this podcast, you will learn
- Few personal announcements
- Rule 0: Start at zero
- Rule 1: Sort the chart
- Rule 2: Slap a title on it
- Rule 3: Axis + grid-lines vs. Lables
- Rule 4: Moderate formatting
- Conclusions
Celebrate Holi with this colorful Excel file
Today is Holi, the festival of colors in India. It is a fun festival where people smear each other with colors, water balloons, tomatoes and sometimes rotten eggs. This year we wanted to play with only water guns, but kids vetoed that idea vehemently. So we ended up driving to my sister-in-law’s place to play with colors (there were no rotten eggs or tomatoes, thankfully).
Let me smear a few colors on you
I would love to splash a jug full of color water on you and say Happy Holi. But the internets have not advanced thus far. So I am going to give you the next best option.
An Excel workbook to play holi
CP031: Invisibility Tricks – How to make things disappear in Excel?
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In the 31st session of Chandoo.org podcast, let’s disappear.
What is in this session?
Spreadsheets are complex things. They have outputs, calculation tabs, inputs, VBA code, from controls, charts, pivot tables and occasional picture of hello kitty. But when it comes to making a workbook production ready, you may want to hide away few things so it looks tidy.
That is our topic for this podcast session.
In this podcast, you will learn
- Quick announcements first anniversary of our podcast etc.
- Hiding cells, rows, columns & sheets
- Hiding chart data points
- On/off effect with form controls, conditional formatting
- Making objects, charts, pictures disappear
- Disabling grid-lines, formula bar & headings
- Hiding things in print
Revenue vs. Commission growth – Getting the message across [BYOD]
Situation: Our commissions are growing way faster than revenues
Let’s say you are looking revenues & sales commissions of your company for last few years. The data looks like this:
And you want to highlight the fact that commissions are growing faster than revenues.
So you plot YoY growth rates for revenues & commissions.
Problem: The chart of YoY growth rates is not convincing
Take a look at the chart. It doesn’t convey the message that we want. At best it says “revenue growth is less than commission growth”
How to convey the message “Commission growth is a problem for us”?
CP029: Impress your boss with Excel charts – 6 step road map for you
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In the 29th session of Chandoo.org podcast, let’s impress the boss with Excel charts.
What is in this session?
Many Excel charts live a short life. They spawn in an ambitious analyst’s spreadsheet. They go to boss with literally flying colors. The boss frowns, they disappear in to recycle bin.
Don’t curse your Excel charts with short life span.
Here is a 6 step road map to help you create awesome Excel charts, everytime.
That is our topic for this podcast session.
In this podcast, you will learn
- Quick announcements about 50 ways & Einstein
- 6 step road map for charting success
- ONE: Dig your data
- TWO: Validate insights
- THREE: Pick charts that go well
- FOUR: Add title & message
- FIVE: Remove clutter
- SIX: Prompt action
- A real life example with road map in action
- Resources for creating awesome charts