Chart Selection Guide: Matching Visualization Types to Data and Objectives

Create a comprehensive chart selection guide for [COMPANY NAME]'s team, which works with [INDUSTRY] data and uses [Power BI / Looker Studio / Excel / Python].\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n**Decision Matrix — Objective x Chart Type:**\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n1. **Comparison:**\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n   - Across categories: when to use bars (horizontal vs vertical), lollipop, dot plot\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n   - Over time: line, area, grouped bars\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n   - Rule: maximum of [N] categories per chart\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n2. **Composition:**\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n   - At a single point in time: pie (max 5 slices), treemap, waffle chart\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n   - Over time: stacked area (100% vs absolute), stacked bars\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n   - Rule: when NOT to use pie charts\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n3. **Distribution:**\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n   - One variable: histogram, box plot, violin plot\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n   - Two variables: scatter plot, density heatmap\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n   - Rule: optimal bins for histograms (Sturges' rule)\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n4. **Relationship/Correlation:**\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n   - Two variables: scatter plot with trend line\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n   - Multiple variables: bubble chart, parallel coordinates\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n   - Rule: when r² justifies showing correlation\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n5. **Geographic:**\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n   - Choropleth map (states/regions)\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n   - Bubble map for cities\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n   - When a map is NOT the best option\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n**For each chart type, provide:**\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n- Example with fictional [INDUSTRY] data\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n- Optimal settings (colors, labels, axes)\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n- Common mistakes to avoid\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n- Better alternative in each case\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n- How to implement in [TOOL]\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n**Company Visual Standards:**\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n- Accessible color palette (colorblind-friendly)\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n- Typography hierarchy (title, subtitle, labels, notes)\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n- Rounding and number formatting rules\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n- Reusable template for [TOOL]