Power bi charts

POWER BI CHART TYPES AND USE CASES

1.COLUMN CHART :

When to Use:

• When you want to compare values across different categories

• Best for categorical data (e.g., region, product, department)

• Easy to read and interpret at a glance

2.STACKED COLUMN CHART :

Online vs Offline Sales by Region

What is it?

A stacked bar chart shows how different sub-groups (segments) contribute to the total across categories Each bar represents the total, and each segment within the bar shows a portion of that total

When to Use:

• When you want to show part-to-whole relationships within categories

• When comparing multiple variables (like Online vs Offline) across a single category (like Region)

Example Scenario:

A company wants to compare Online and Offline Sales across regions and also see the total sales per region

3.CLUSTERED COLUMN CHART :

What is it?

1 Comparing multiple series across the same categories, such as viewing performance across segments or teams

2 You require side-by-side comparisons within each category to highlight relative differences

Do use it when:

• You need to compare 2–4 data series across a few categories

• You want clear visual distinction between groups

Don’t overuse it when:

• You have too many categories or series—this makes the chart cluttered and less effective

Comparing different Mobiles and sales in all quarters

4 LINE CHART :

A line chart is ideal when you want to:

Do use it when:

1 Display trends over time — daily, monthly, yearly values — and show the progression

or regression of a metric

2 Highlight subtle changes or patterns, like minor seasonality, anomalies, or spikes in data

3 Compare multiple data series on the same timeline, such as showcasing different user segments or metrics together

Characteristics of a Good Line Chart

• X-Axis: Continuous variable, most often time, such as days, months, or years

• Y-Axis: Numeric metric you want to track (e.g., sales, traffic, registrations)

• Multiple Lines (optional): Represent different groups or series for comparison

5.AREA CHART

What Is an Area Chart?

• Similar to a line chart, but the area under the line is filled with color

• Best suited for visualizing trends and volume over time

• Especially effective when showing part-to-whole relationships or cumulative totals across a few related series

When to Use an Area Chart

1 Highlight overall trends and volume changes: The shaded area emphasizes

magnitude, making rising/falling trends visually clear

2 Compare related series: Up to 3–4 segments can be compared effectively—but avoid clutter with too many series

When Not to Use an Area Chart

• Precise values instead of general trends

• Many unrelated series—chart becomes hard to read

• Detailed comparisons—line charts or bar charts are better suited

6.PIE CHART:

When Should You Use a Pie Chart?

Use a pie chart to convey:

1 Part-to-whole relationships

o Ideal when asking “What percentage of total is this category?”

2 Few categories (≤ 5)

o Avoid clutter and ensure readability

3 Highlighting dominant or minor segments

o Clearly shows one segment is much larger or smaller than the rest

When Not to Use a Pie Chart

Avoid pie charts when:

• Multiple small slices make comparisons hard

• You need to compare many categories, trends, or exact values

• Categories don’t sum to a meaningful whole

Bar charts or dot plots are better for detailed comparisons

7.DONUT CHART :

When Should You Use a Donut Chart?

1.Showing parts of a whole with few categories (≤ 5):

Ideal when you want to highlight the contribution of each category without visual clutter

3 Highlighting key metrics at the center:

The empty center can be used to display total values or important insights (e.g.,

"Total Sales: 1,200")

4 Enhancing aesthetics without losing meaning:

The removal of the center can make differences in arc length more perceptible than slice area alone

When Not to Use a Donut Chart

• Too many small segments:

Chart becomes cluttered and hard to read

• Need for precise comparison:

Donut charts are less effective when exact values must be compared across

categories

• Displaying trends over time:

Donuts are static snapshots; time-based trends are better served by line or bar charts

8.SCATTER CHART

When to Use a Scatter Chart

Use a scatter chart when you want to:

1 Reveal relationships or correlations (e.g., positive, negative, or none) between two variables

2 Identify patterns, like linear trends or clusters

3 Spot outliers—those unique data points that stand away from the cluster

4 Analyze large datasets effectively, especially with 50+ data points

What Makes a Great Scatter Plot

• Two numeric variables as X and Y

• Optional trend line for visualizing correlation

• Use of colors/sizes for additional dimensions

9 TREE MAP

When to Use a Treemap

1 Visualize many categories/subcategories compactly—where bar charts would be too long or cluttered

2 Show hierarchical structures, such as regions → countries → cities or product categories → sub-products

3 Emphasize part-to-whole relationships: easily identify which segments dominate within the whole

When Not to Use Treemaps

• When exact comparisons between categories are required—bar charts are more precise

• With too many tiny segments—small areas become unreadable

• For non-hierarchical data or when tracking trends over time—use line or bar charts instead

10.Matrix :

When to Use a Matrix Visual

Use a Matrix when you need to:

1 Compare across two categorical dimensions

For example, viewing sales by Region × Product Category

2 Drill down into hierarchical data

Drill from Year → Quarter → Month without changing visuals

3 Display subtotals and overall totals dynamically

Automatically updates when filters are applied

When Not to Use

Avoid matrix charts when:

• You need to show detailed trends over time (use line charts instead)

• You want exact comparisons between many categories (use bar/column charts for precision)

11 Table :

When to Use a Table Visual

1 Display raw, transactional-level data

Ideal for showing individual records like orders, events, or logs—perfectly suited for audit trails, detailed lists, or data exports

2 Enable sorting or filtering on multiple dimensions

Tables allow easy sorting on any column and support filters or slicers for exploration

3 Present straightforward tabular data

Great for when you want a clean, transparent view without aggregated measures,

hierarchies, or drill-downs

When Not to Use

• Drill-down or hierarchical data (row/column grouping)

• Multi-dimensional comparisons across two axes

• Aggregated summaries or subtotals—that’s what Matrix visuals are for

12.Water Fall Chart :

Use it when you want to:

1 Track cumulative changes over time or categories

Example: Net profit evolving through revenue, expenses, taxes

2 Audit major contributors to a final total

Example: Determine which departments drove profit increases or losses

3 Visualize financial statements breakdowns like P&L, revenue to profit, or headcount

changes

4 Highlight cash flow dynamics, sales vs costs, or other time-based fluctuation

13.Gauge Chart :

When to Use a Gauge Chart

• Progress toward a goal: Perfect for showing how far you've come in achieving a KPI, such as sales target, pipeline coverage, or customer satisfaction

• Intuitive KPI display: Offers a quick, visual snapshot of performance—ideal for

dashboards where users need to understand at-a-glance if metrics are on track

• Single metric focus: Best suited when you want to track just one measure, like % completion, current month’s revenue, or net profit margin

When Not to Use Gauges

• Displaying multiple metrics—bar or column charts are more effective

• Presenting detailed trends over time—use line or area charts instead

• Conveying precise value comparison across categories—table or matrix visuals work better

14 Funnel Chart :

When To Use a Funnel Chart in Power BI

Use it when:

• You have four or more stages in a sequential process, with values expected to

decrease stage by stage

• You need to track conversions or retention between steps (e.g., from “Lead” to

“Qualified” to “Proposal” to “Closed”)

• You want to highlight bottlenecks—a sharp drop indicates where many items are lost

• You want to show progress visually in workflows like shopping carts, ad campaigns, or candidate recruitment

Avoid funnel charts if:

• You’re comparing non-sequential categories (use bar charts instead)

• You need detailed trend analysis—line or area charts are more suitable

15 Map Chart :

When to Use Map Charts

1 Visualizing location-based data – e.g., customer density, branch locations, incident hotspots

2 Identifying geographic trends – like regional sales distribution, delivery performance,

or site coverage

3 Asset or infrastructure tracking – such as monitoring store/warehouse locations, service zones, or production facility activity

4 Supporting geospatial analysis – using size, color, or clustering to illustrate intensity, categories, or density