Plot charts
What are they?
Scatterplots, dot plots, dumbbell charts and box and whisker plots are related types of visualizations that use dots to represent individual data points on one or two axes.
Consider other chart types before using
Consider other chart types before using charts with this label. They might be appropriate, but less familiar charts are often misinterpreted—book office hours with the data viz team if you’re unsure.
Plot Chart Guidelines
Don’t forget to sort
Sort the chart to help show patterns. Sort by greatest to least (or vice versa) for one set of dots or sort by the difference between the dots. Avoid using a random order for the categories.
Don’t overcrowd the dumbbell
Show two dots, or at most three, in a dumbbell chart. Dumbbell charts generally show the differences between points and too many dots for each category makes the chart hard to read.
Use transparency and outlines to help show overlapping dots
When data points overlap, use transparent dots with outlines rather than solid dots to improve chart legibility.
Don’t use bubbles for metrics with small differences
It is difficult to see small size differences among circles. Consider using bubbles only if you expect differences among the data values to be large enough to be distinguishable. Also keep in mind that circles can’t be a negative size, so if you’re considering using bubbles for a third metric make sure that metric remains positive.
Don’t use a single box and whisker plot
If you have just a single data set, consider using a histogram or some other chart type. A simpler chart like a dot plot may work better than a box and whisker plot if medians and percentiles are not critical to the data story.
