Comments on: Focus + Context (a Bar Chart Is Not a Skyscraper) http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/focus-context-bar-chart-skyscraper/ Business Charts, Done Right Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:15:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jon Peltier http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/focus-context-bar-chart-skyscraper/comment-page-1/#comment-1164 Jon Peltier Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:48:59 +0000 http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/?p=661#comment-1164 It's hard dealing with tradition like this. They're accustomed to receiving a thick ream of paper, probably with a glossy cover, where every chart fills the page, so that's what they expect. Never mind that two dozen smaller charts can legibly fill a page and show the important information in one view, without all the shuffling. Do they need the large charts for presentations involving a projector? If you like your job, to some extent you have to just deal with it. You could try to convince them that you're saving a rainforest, but if they like 8x10 charts, they don't care about being Green. Could you give them the huge charts they ask for, but insert a cover page with the grid of smaller charts? This may be the way to slowly sell them on the changed report. It’s hard dealing with tradition like this. They’re accustomed to receiving a thick ream of paper, probably with a glossy cover, where every chart fills the page, so that’s what they expect. Never mind that two dozen smaller charts can legibly fill a page and show the important information in one view, without all the shuffling. Do they need the large charts for presentations involving a projector?

If you like your job, to some extent you have to just deal with it. You could try to convince them that you’re saving a rainforest, but if they like 8×10 charts, they don’t care about being Green.

Could you give them the huge charts they ask for, but insert a cover page with the grid of smaller charts? This may be the way to slowly sell them on the changed report.

]]> By: 9.2.5 http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/focus-context-bar-chart-skyscraper/comment-page-1/#comment-1163 9.2.5 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:42:29 +0000 http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/?p=661#comment-1163 @Tom/@Jorge: I like that people are discussing alternative ways to do things. I'd love to be able to produce reports for my management that uses so many of these great ideas (even though I'm not sold on the accoridan effect either). However, like Tom, I am often held to business specs (expectations of the report consumers) that simply keep me from trying these inovations. As much as we need blogs about what is possible and implementing these visions, I need guidance on strategies for pushing for these changes from the bottom up. I'm still in a model where I produce SAS graphs and copy and paste into PPT b/c the bosses want to see one graph in 8.5x11 glory. I started a new model report with several 2"x3" graphs on a single page with a corresponding detail data table and was told this week to stop it. Short of locking management in a room with Tufte and Few, how do I sell management on the value of seeing things differently?! @Tom/@Jorge: I like that people are discussing alternative ways to do things. I’d love to be able to produce reports for my management that uses so many of these great ideas (even though I’m not sold on the accoridan effect either).

However, like Tom, I am often held to business specs (expectations of the report consumers) that simply keep me from trying these inovations. As much as we need blogs about what is possible and implementing these visions, I need guidance on strategies for pushing for these changes from the bottom up.

I’m still in a model where I produce SAS graphs and copy and paste into PPT b/c the bosses want to see one graph in 8.5×11 glory. I started a new model report with several 2″x3″ graphs on a single page with a corresponding detail data table and was told this week to stop it. Short of locking management in a room with Tufte and Few, how do I sell management on the value of seeing things differently?!

]]> By: Jon Peltier http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/focus-context-bar-chart-skyscraper/comment-page-1/#comment-1162 Jon Peltier Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:00:24 +0000 http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/?p=661#comment-1162 Robert - It is not a numerical scale. Shrinking part of the scale is acceptable. The relative lengths of the bars is what is important, not necessarily the overall shape of the distribution. Robert – It is not a numerical scale. Shrinking part of the scale is acceptable. The relative lengths of the bars is what is important, not necessarily the overall shape of the distribution.

]]> By: Robert Morton http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/focus-context-bar-chart-skyscraper/comment-page-1/#comment-1161 Robert Morton Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:46:40 +0000 http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/?p=661#comment-1161 I understand that was one of the key components of an accordion chart, but I disagree that altering the scale is valid. If it were, it is just as reasonable to remove the middle section entirely. My response focused on the other points that you made about subduing the visual "clutter" of the less interesting region, while still maintaining the shape of the visual trend. I understand that was one of the key components of an accordion chart, but I disagree that altering the scale is valid. If it were, it is just as reasonable to remove the middle section entirely. My response focused on the other points that you made about subduing the visual “clutter” of the less interesting region, while still maintaining the shape of the visual trend.

]]> By: admin http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/focus-context-bar-chart-skyscraper/comment-page-1/#comment-1160 admin Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:17:34 +0000 http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/?p=661#comment-1160 @Robert: The idea is not to make bars in the central area thinner just for the sake of it. You must also make the gaps smaller so that you can reduce the overall chart size. @Robert: The idea is not to make bars in the central area thinner just for the sake of it. You must also make the gaps smaller so that you can reduce the overall chart size.

]]> By: Robert Morton http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/focus-context-bar-chart-skyscraper/comment-page-1/#comment-1159 Robert Morton Fri, 13 Feb 2009 01:51:44 +0000 http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/?p=661#comment-1159 Hi Jorge, I saw this post just today so I've missed the Flowing Data challenge, but I thought I'd show you how this can be done in Tableau. See <a href="http://www.tableausoftware.com/files/NonSkyscraper.png" rel="nofollow">this image</a> or the full <a href="http://www.tableausoftware.com/files/NonSkyscraper.twbx" rel="nofollow">Tableau 4.1 workbook.</a> (<a href="http://www.tableausoftware.com/products/trial" rel="nofollow">Tableau 4.1 free trial</a>) Hi Jorge,
I saw this post just today so I’ve missed the Flowing Data challenge, but I thought I’d show you how this can be done in Tableau. See this image or the full Tableau 4.1 workbook. (Tableau 4.1 free trial)

]]> By: admin http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/focus-context-bar-chart-skyscraper/comment-page-1/#comment-1158 admin Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:20:31 +0000 http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/?p=661#comment-1158 @ Matt: you can use the sort option in the Autofilter. @Chandoo: Bright minds think alike :) @Jon: thanks for the post. Working on the next challenge... @ Matt: you can use the sort option in the Autofilter.
@Chandoo: Bright minds think alike :)
@Jon: thanks for the post. Working on the next challenge…

]]> By: Jon Peltier http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/focus-context-bar-chart-skyscraper/comment-page-1/#comment-1157 Jon Peltier Thu, 12 Feb 2009 11:39:47 +0000 http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/?p=661#comment-1157 Please see <a href="http://peltiertech.com/WordPress/accordion-chart-for-jorge/" title="Accordion Chart for Jorge" rel="nofollow">Accordion Chart for Jorge</a>. Please see Accordion Chart for Jorge.

]]> By: Accordion Chart for Jorge | PTS Blog http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/focus-context-bar-chart-skyscraper/comment-page-1/#comment-1156 Accordion Chart for Jorge | PTS Blog Thu, 12 Feb 2009 11:00:59 +0000 http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/?p=661#comment-1156 [...] Camoes wrote in Focus + Context (a Bar Chart Is Not a Skyscraper) that tall bar charts are a waste of space. If you plan to show everything (say, all fifty state [...] [...] Camoes wrote in Focus + Context (a Bar Chart Is Not a Skyscraper) that tall bar charts are a waste of space. If you plan to show everything (say, all fifty state [...]

]]> By: Jon Peltier http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/focus-context-bar-chart-skyscraper/comment-page-1/#comment-1155 Jon Peltier Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:06:28 +0000 http://www.excelcharts.com/blog/?p=661#comment-1155 Jorge - Okay, I'm working on this. I have a simple version in Excel which highlights about five or six bars as you drag the mouse, showing the state names for the highlighted bars. Too easy. So I have an accordion version in the works. The highlighted bars are twice the width of the non highlighted-bars. This took a bit of algebra, but that doesn't scare me, because it's only Algebra I. (If I need Algebra II, I could bother my wife, who teaches it.) Neither animation is exactly ready yet. They are a little bit jumpy, and the uneven lengths of the state names causes some major issues with the width of the plot area. I have a couple ideas, but I have to test them out. Jorge -

Okay, I’m working on this. I have a simple version in Excel which highlights about five or six bars as you drag the mouse, showing the state names for the highlighted bars. Too easy.

So I have an accordion version in the works. The highlighted bars are twice the width of the non highlighted-bars. This took a bit of algebra, but that doesn’t scare me, because it’s only Algebra I. (If I need Algebra II, I could bother my wife, who teaches it.)

Neither animation is exactly ready yet. They are a little bit jumpy, and the uneven lengths of the state names causes some major issues with the width of the plot area. I have a couple ideas, but I have to test them out.

]]>