Which charts in Tableau can help you visualise your data best? Choosing the correct chart is essential for presenting insights. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to decide which to use. Thankfully, Tableau offers a variety of charts, each suited to different types of data visualisation.
Understanding the available chart types helps communicate your findings effectively when working with data visualisation with Tableau. Let’s explore the top 10 Tableau charts and how to use them to their full potential.
Bar Chart
Bar charts are widely used in Tableau. They’re perfect for comparing data across categories, showing data distribution, or ranking items. Drag your dimensions and measures into the fields to create a clear, easy-to-read bar chart.
Line Chart
Line charts track changes over time. They’re ideal for visualising trends and showing data evolution. For instance, you can display monthly website traffic growth. Add time-based data to the x-axis and your measures to the y-axis in Tableau.
Pie Chart
Pie charts are useful for showing proportions. This chart lets you easily display how different categories contribute to a whole. Tableau makes it simple to create pie charts by dragging and dropping your dimensions and measures. However, pie charts should be used sparingly.
Scatter Plot
Scatter plots help you analyse relationships between two variables. You can identify patterns, clusters, or outliers by plotting data points along the x and y axes. This is especially useful in large datasets. In Tableau, scatter plots help you answer questions like whether an increase in marketing spending correlates with an increase in sales. It’s a powerful way to analyse correlation.
Heat Map
Heat maps provide a colourful way to represent data. Each colour represents a value, making it easy to spot trends and patterns. They are often used to visualise density or intensity, such as website traffic by time of day. Creating a heat map in Tableau is simple.
Tree Map
Treemaps are ideal for visualising data hierarchies. They show proportions using nested rectangles, with larger rectangles representing bigger values. This makes it easy to understand which categories dominate. Tree maps are particularly useful for comparing the size of different elements in a dataset.
Gantt Chart
A Gantt chart is perfect for project management and tracking timelines. It allows you to see a project’s schedule, including the duration and overlap of tasks. In Tableau, you can easily create Gantt charts by placing time-based information on the x-axis and tasks or activities on the y-axis.
Bubble Chart
Bubble charts are a fun and effective way to visualise three dimensions of information. The size of each bubble represents the value of a third variable, adding depth to your analysis. This makes bubble charts excellent for visualising complex sets. To create a bubble chart in Tableau, add your dimensions to the view and assign a measure to the bubbles’ size.
Histogram
Histograms show the distribution of continuous information. They are used to understand the frequency of data points within certain ranges. For instance, if you want to analyse how customer ages are distributed, a histogram will display the number of customers within specific age ranges.
Waterfall Chart
Waterfall charts help illustrate how sequential data points lead to a final result. Each bar starts where the previous one ended, making it easy to see how individual components contribute to a cumulative total. Waterfall charts are particularly useful in financial analysis, showing how revenue, costs, and profits contribute to a final financial outcome.
Mastering these Tableau charts will elevate your data analysis skills and make your visualisations more impactful. Data visualisation with Tableau becomes even more powerful when you know how to select and utilise the right chart for your analysis. With these top 10 charts in your toolbox, you’ll be well-equipped to present your information clearly and thoughtfully.
