Making and Evaluating a Pie Chart

This blog entry records my experience in making and analyzing the effectiveness of a pie chart. The objective of this assignment was to select a dataset that is suited for a pie chart and then produce a pie chart and see how effective the choice made turns out to be.

Choosing a Strong Use Case

In my pie chart, I decided to use a data set that breaks down a sum into a small group of easily identifiable categories. In my pie chart, I have opted to show breakdowns of how people normally spend their time, which I have categorized into five groups: sleeping, working or attending school, leisure activities, house chores, and everything else.

This data is very suitable for making a pie chart since the data is the composition of a whole, with the total adding up to 100%. The data is also very manageable, with just five categories, making the graph very readable. The data has large enough differences for comparison.

In Effective Data Visualization, author Stephanie Evergreen puts forth that a pie chart is most effective when done with a small number of categories and attempting to determine the relationship of each segment to a complete unit. The current data meets this qualification, so a pie chart is appropriate here.

Source used to support pie chart use:

https://www.data-to-viz.com/graph/pie.html

Creating the Pie Chart

The graph I made for my assignment is a pie chart. I made the graph using Excel. I made sure that the graph is very easy to understand. I labeled each part of the graph both with its category and its percent. That way, the graph does not require interpretation.

I kept using only basic colors and did not incorporate any 3D effects that may lead to distorted views of pizza slice sizes. Additionally, I added a title and a source of information. With that, the overall design is basic, which allows the overall messages of the image to be obtained at a glance.

Pie Chart Image:

pie chart

Evaluating the Design Choice

Although the pie chart is good for indicating proportions, I wondered if perhaps another graph would be better at indicating the data with more accuracy. A bar graph would help allow comparisons between precise values. This would be particularly useful with values that are similar in amount.

However, since the objective was to highlight how each category contributes to the whole day, the use of a pie chart was appropriate. Another way to present the data would be by using a bar chart or a “donut” chart, but neither would add much value to the data. Through this, one was able to learn that the use of a pie chart is appropriate when one wishes to make general observations rather than taking exact readings.

Design Tips and Best Practices

While researching effective pie chart design, I learned several best practices:

• Limit the number of slices to no more than five
• Avoid 3-D effects that distort area perception
• Label slices directly when possible

Use simple, high-contrast colors. These guidelines helped me create a cleaner and more readable chart. Additionally, they reinforced the notion that I should use pie charts rarely and with great intention.

Final Reflection

This assignment has made me realize the conditions under which a pie chart would be used. I have been able to produce a graph that effectively conveys its message by comparing the different options that were considered.

In summary, this exercise has demonstrated that, if used appropriately, the use of pie charts can be effective, but it is a technique that requires careful data selection and design.