Data visualization chart selection checklist

Before charting, check whether the message can be stated in 1 sentence. Otherwise revisit organization or analysis. Charts convey a message.

When to use this worksheet and what completion involves Fictional completed example

EvalCompass Worksheet

Data visualization chart selection checklist

Method: Data Visualization

Before charting, check whether the message can be stated in 1 sentence. Otherwise revisit organization or analysis. Charts convey a message.

Basic information

Confirm visualization purpose and audience.

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

Report or presentation: Application rates by area
Intended audience and statistical literacy: Local staff and residents
Planned chart count: 1 chart and data table
Tool: Excel / R / Tableau, etc.: Assume spreadsheet software
Responsible staff and date: Staff member A / July 2026 (fictional)

Reason for this entry: Focus the comparison readers should see.

Report or presentation

Intended audience and statistical literacy

Planned chart count

Tool: Excel / R / Tableau, etc.

Responsible staff and date

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Confirm visualization purpose and audience.

Focus the comparison readers should see.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Follow each field’s heading to record the program name, focus, period, and other details. Leave undecided matters clearly marked as unresolved.

Read the full fictional example

Chart selection plan

Define each chart's message and type.

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Chart number	Message: 1 sentence	Data type: comparison / percentage / distribution / relationship / trend	Chart type	Variables: x-axis / y-axis / color, etc.
1	B's application rate is 10 percentage points higher than A's.	Comparison and percentages	Bar chart	X-axis: area; Y-axis: 0–100%; direct labels

Reason for this entry: These are fictional chart designs, not actual search data.

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Chart number	Message: 1 sentence	Data type: comparison / percentage / distribution / relationship / trend	Chart type	Variables: x-axis / y-axis / color, etc.

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Define each chart's message and type.

These are fictional chart designs, not actual search data.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Keep the information in each row aligned. Scroll wide tables horizontally to see every column.

Read the full fictional example

Accessibility check

Check accessibility for each chart.

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Chart number	Colors and differentiation accommodating color vision diversity	Differentiation by pattern or shape	Distinguishable in monochrome print	Contrast and applicable standards for text and graphics
1	Use one color and direct labels.	Distinguish by area name and value.	Plan to check actual rendering.	Text and graphic standards differ; measure after selecting colors.

Reason for this entry: Apply separate standards to text and graphics and measure actual chosen colors.

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Chart number	Colors and differentiation accommodating color vision diversity	Differentiation by pattern or shape	Distinguishable in monochrome print	Contrast and applicable standards for text and graphics

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Check accessibility for each chart.

Apply separate standards to text and graphics and measure actual chosen colors.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Keep the information in each row aligned. Scroll wide tables horizontally to see every column.

Read the full fictional example

Completion check for all charts

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

☑ Checked: Added message-based action titles to every chart
☑ Checked: Bar-chart Y axes start at 0
☐ Not checked: Selected composition charts for comparison purposes and checked pies, bars or tables for readability
☑ Checked: Removed chartjunk such as 3D or shadows
☐ Not checked: Showed error bars or confidence intervals where statistical uncertainty exists
☐ Not checked: Used color-vision-diversity-friendly colors
☑ Checked: Noted data sources, year and sample sizes
☐ Not checked: Tested messages and interpretation with intended readers for misreading and readability

Reason for this entry: An illustrative bar-chart design. Comparison purposes are defined, but actual colors and interpretation by intended readers remain untested.

Added message-based action titles to every chart
Bar-chart Y axes start at 0
Selected composition charts for comparison purposes and checked pies, bars or tables for readability
Removed chartjunk such as 3D or shadows
Showed error bars or confidence intervals where statistical uncertainty exists
Used color-vision-diversity-friendly colors
Noted data sources, year and sample sizes
Tested messages and interpretation with intended readers for misreading and readability

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

An illustrative bar-chart design. Comparison purposes are defined, but actual colors and interpretation by intended readers remain untested.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Read each item and check those you have confirmed. Do not use the fictional example’s checkbox states as findings about your own program.

Read the full fictional example

Before writing, check when to use the worksheet and what completion involves

Data visualization chart selection checklist is a worksheet for applying Data Visualization in meetings or individual work. For the overall duration of the method, use “Several hours–several days for data preparation, design, charting and revision” as a reference, adjusting for scale and resources. Fill in what you know provisionally and leave unresolved matters as questions to check next.

When this worksheet is useful

When making statistics intuitively understandable in reports or presentations
When comparing groups or patterns over time
When understanding or explaining spatial or categorical distributions by area or characteristics

Participants and preparation

1–2 evaluators skilled in Excel, R, Python, Tableau or Power BI. For large reports, collaboration with designers is desirable; consider outsourcing.

Bring the materials used for decisions, existing data, and differing stakeholder views to help complete the worksheet.

Suggested order

1. Basic informationConfirm visualization purpose and audience.
2. Chart selection planDefine each chart's message and type.
3. Accessibility checkCheck accessibility for each chart.
4. Completion check for all charts

Signs the worksheet is ready for review

Report and presentation chart set
Chart selection rationale
Accessibility checklist: color vision diversity and contrast checked

Cautions for review

Nonzero bar-chart baselines exaggerate small differences. Always start bars at 0; line-chart ranges may vary with context.
Making composition difficult to compare. Test bars, pies or tables with readers according to subjects and precision.
Decorative chartjunk: 3D, shadows, excess colors and background images hinder reading. Simplicity expresses the greatest honesty in evaluation reporting.

Guides to read before starting

Read a completed fictional example (your entries will not change)

Fictional example; not actual results

A fictional illustrative design comparing area A at 50% and B at 60% in a bar chart.

Basic information

Report or presentation: Application rates by area
Intended audience and statistical literacy: Local staff and residents
Planned chart count: 1 chart and data table
Tool: Excel / R / Tableau, etc.: Assume spreadsheet software
Responsible staff and date: Staff member A / July 2026 (fictional)

Reason for this entry: Focus the comparison readers should see.

Chart selection plan

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Chart number	Message: 1 sentence	Data type: comparison / percentage / distribution / relationship / trend	Chart type	Variables: x-axis / y-axis / color, etc.
1	B's application rate is 10 percentage points higher than A's.	Comparison and percentages	Bar chart	X-axis: area; Y-axis: 0–100%; direct labels

Reason for this entry: These are fictional chart designs, not actual search data.

Accessibility check

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Chart number	Colors and differentiation accommodating color vision diversity	Differentiation by pattern or shape	Distinguishable in monochrome print	Contrast and applicable standards for text and graphics
1	Use one color and direct labels.	Distinguish by area name and value.	Plan to check actual rendering.	Text and graphic standards differ; measure after selecting colors.

Reason for this entry: Apply separate standards to text and graphics and measure actual chosen colors.

Completion check for all charts

☑ Checked: Added message-based action titles to every chart
☑ Checked: Bar-chart Y axes start at 0
☐ Not checked: Selected composition charts for comparison purposes and checked pies, bars or tables for readability
☑ Checked: Removed chartjunk such as 3D or shadows
☐ Not checked: Showed error bars or confidence intervals where statistical uncertainty exists
☐ Not checked: Used color-vision-diversity-friendly colors
☑ Checked: Noted data sources, year and sample sizes
☐ Not checked: Tested messages and interpretation with intended readers for misreading and readability

Reason for this entry: An illustrative bar-chart design. Comparison purposes are defined, but actual colors and interpretation by intended readers remain untested.

Common errors in judgment

Truncating bar axes to exaggerate gaps

How to revise: Use a zero baseline and note the difference.

Reason: Bar lengths otherwise misrepresent quantity ratios.

Distinguishing series only through a color legend

How to revise: Add direct labels, line styles, tables or alternative descriptions.

Reason: People with color vision difficulties and screen-reader users can also access information.

Editorial and checking information

Content updated: 2026-10-07Source checked: 2026-09-13 (includes AI cross-checking)No documented human reviewIncludes fictional examplesEditorial policy and scope of checking Cite this page Report a correction

References and checked sections

Axes and gridlines
Office for National Statistics
Section consulted
Axis start point / Consistent axis scales
How it relates to the text
Use axes that do not distort bar lengths and communicate units and chart content in prose too.
Source checked: 2026-09-13 (includes AI cross-checking)
Chart text
Office for National Statistics
Section consulted
Chart alternative text / Sources / Axis titles
How it relates to the text
Use axes that do not distort bar lengths and communicate units and chart content in prose too.
Source checked: 2026-09-13 (includes AI cross-checking)

How to cite this page

EvalCompass Editorial Team. “Data visualization chart selection checklist”. EvalCompass, updated 2026-10-07. https://evalcompass.jun-nakatani.com/en/worksheets/data-visualization/

Add the date you accessed the page. Text created by this site is available under CC BY 4.0. Quotations, external materials, and bundled fonts have their own terms of use. When reusing content, credit the source, link to the license, and indicate any changes.

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Change history

2026-09-13 — Checked sources for definitions and applicability conditions, and added fictional examples, reasons for judgments and examples for every worksheet field. Revised unverified claims about history and adoption. Also reviewed existing procedures and cautions, and adjusted fixed participant counts and thresholds and generalizations about institutions. Preserved field positions, types and counts while revising fixed conditions and thresholds in the forms.
2026-10-07 — Correction based on independent content review (content-check-causal). Restricted zero-baseline cautions to bar- and area-based charts and specified context-sensitive ranges for line and scatterplots.