Benchmark Comparisons

by Nicole Cardillo

Benchmarks are arguably one of the most underrated elements of a data visualization. They give users a reference point to the information presented on a graph. A benchmark can be displayed through different means such as a line, a colored chart element, a marking on the graph, etc. These are all indications of a specific point on a graph that is crucial to the comprehension of the data. The APQC explains, "Benchmarking is important because it allows organizations to measure their performance against industry standards, identify areas for improvement, and drive strategic decision-making." Graphs are often abundant with raw, collected data. A benchmark enhances that data and gives the audience a point of comparison. This has the ability to give audiences a greater understanding of what exactly they are viewing and how the data is relative to the real world.

The graph shown above is one of the most common uses of a benchmark. The New York Times provides us with a line as a reference point to how time spent on home has drastically changed over the years. It is clear that the greatest change occurred in 2020 following the Covid-19 pandemic. The line indicates the point at which the time reaches 100 minutes more than time spent at home in 2003. Nearly each bar in the orange reaches or exceeds that point. This infographic is very insightful because it displays how the pandemic has impacted our world for the foreseeable future. We can infer that all the different means of remote work/school implemented during this pandemic still affects modern society. The benchmark is a clear indicated that time spent at home has spiked tremendously in the last twenty years.

The graph above displays another use of a benchmark in a dotted line form. This line is darker than the gray lines behind it, as well as boldly labeled. This graph from The New York Times provided a visualization of the change in warmth in the Gulf of Mexico. We can clearly see the dotted benchmark presents an average trend for 2013-2023 while the bright red line displays data for 2024. This is another efficient use of a benchmark because it shows the present data in comparison to the prior data of the last decade. Without this benchmark, audiences would have no indication as to weather the warmth in the Gulf of Mexico in 2024 was cooler or warmer than previous years. Ultimately, this benchmark proves that the temperature was significantly higher, especially in the late summer to early fall months of 2024. 

The graph shown above is another common use of a benchmark. Not only is this a dotted line through a trend of data, but it is labeled as a target point. The New York Times provides us with a graph that reflects measles vaccination rates among U.S. kindergarteners. Once again, the target goal shows us the preferred rate at which the federal government wants kindergarteners to be vaccinated. Once again, we can tell that the Covid-19 pandemic had a major influence on vaccination rates. The benchmark shows us that most parents were in favor of vaccinating their children with measles prior to the pandemic, reaching the federal target. However, in 2020 it is clear that the vaccination rates have declined. Although the y-axis manipulates how much the measles vaccination rates truly declined, the benchmark remains a good indication of the target goal.

Ultimately, benchmarks are an extremely effective tool in data visualizations. While graphs already provide us with an enhancement of data, making it easier to comprehend, benchmarks take them to the next level. This undoubtedly gives audiences a clear interpretation of the data and how it is relative to outside factors. The horizontal line on the bar chart gives us an understanding of the increase in time spent at home over the last twenty years. The dotted line on the line chart indicated that the weather was warmer in 2024 compared to the last decade of temperature data in the Gulf of Mexico. Lastly, the dotted horizontal line in the last line graph shows how the target goal has been met throughout the years for the measles vaccination in U.S. kindergarteners. Thus, benchmarks are a simple chart element to overall aid in a viewer's understanding of data in a visualization.

References

Bhatia, Aatish, and Irineo Cabreros. “30 Charts That Show How Covid Changed Everything in March 2020.” The New York Times, 10 Mar. 2025, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/09/upshot/covid-lockdown-five-year-charts.html?searchResultPosition=55.

The Learning Network. “What’s Going on in This Graph? | Gulf of Mexico.” The New York Times, 10 Oct. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/10/10/learning/whats-going-on-in-this-graph-oct-23-2024.html?searchResultPosition=27.

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