Designstorm How-to: Dot Plots
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The document explains how to create dot plots, which are preferred over traditional bar charts due to their better data-to-ink ratio and ease of interpreting changes between two points across multiple categories. It provides a detailed step-by-step guide on formatting data in Excel, constructing a scatterplot, and fine-tuning the chart's appearance. Emphasis is placed on creative formatting and purposeful color use to enhance the visual storytelling of data.
Designstorm How-to: Dot Plots
- 2. EdwardTufte would say theyāre a better data-to-ink ratio than side-by-side bars. The way we process information makes it easier to see the distance of a line than the space between the length of two bars. And, arguably, not only are these a flat-out better chart choice for telling some data stories, they look distinctive and can grab a readerās attention. Dot plots arenāt a stock chart type in Excel, so creating them takes a bit of hacking a scatterplot, but nothing that canāt be accomplished with a bit of guidance. Read more on why dots are better than paired columns, or see a quick play-by-play with ways to develop and format your dot plots. why dot plots
- 3. Use dot plots when you want to emphasize the change between two points across multiple categories. Instead of theseā¦ Try this!
- 4. Format your data in a table, as you would for your normal column chart.1.
- 5. Add two additional columns of data that youāll need to create your dot plot.2. āDot spacingā values should be equidistant from one another and will be used as your y-axis. āLine sizeā values will be used for the length of your line.
- 6. Create the basic framework for your dot plot using a scatterplot.3. Select your first data series by highlighting your values + dot spacing. Use CTRL to select multiple non- adjacent cells.
- 7. Now you should have a scatterplot that will be the backbone of your dot plot.
- 8. Add your second data series. 4. Series X values is your next data series (here, the column forYear 5) andY values are your ādot spacingā ā only select the values, not the headers.
- 9. Format your markers as circles and increase the size using āFormat Data Seriesā5.
- 10. Now you should have both markers on the graph, formatted as large dots on separate lines.
- 11. Declutter your chart. 6. Left click to highlight and then delete the major gridlines and theY axis (which is just our dot spacing placeholders). Right click the X axis and select āFormat Axisā; Change āMajor tick markā to āNoneā.
- 12. Add the lines connecting your two data series.7. From ChartTools > Layout > Analysis > Error Bars, select āError Bars with Standard Errorā to create your lines.
- 13. Delete the vertical lines created when you added your standard error bars.8. Select and delete the vertical lines.
- 14. Format your horizontal standard error bars to connect your two dots.9. Select the āLine Sizeā data for your Positive ErrorValue. Leave the Negative ErrorValue as is.
- 15. Your dot plot should look like this now: two dots, connected by a line.
- 16. Add data labels as text boxes (the easiest option for custom formatting ā you can also try an XY labeler macro)10. Insert the text boxes from the ChartTools ribbon, not the general āInsertā ribbon ā this way your labels will stay with your chart if you copy and paste it to a new file.
- 17. Use color purposefully (no rainbow charts!) 11. Here, we use orange to highlight the final value at the end of the project.
- 18. Add a title that clearly states what your reader should take away from your chart.12.
- 19. In a report, consider adding data labels. If you do, delete the x axis ā itās duplicative with the labels.
- 20. Get creative with formatting to make sure your key data story stands out!