If you have a line graph with many lines and you want to focus the viewer on one of those lines, how can you do that? Here are 7 steps you can follow to make one line the focus in what is often called a spaghetti line graph (because the many lines can look like… Continue reading 7 steps to make one line stand out in a spaghetti line graph

A bar chart is used to rank values from largest to smallest, usually in a single series of data. Creating a bar chart in Excel or PowerPoint is simple, but making it look professional requires you to change some of the defaults in the chart. Here are 8 steps to turn a default bar chart… Continue reading 8 steps to make a professional looking bar chart in Excel or PowerPoint

A line graph is used to show a trend, usually over time. There can be a single data series to show one trend or multiple data series to show trends that can be compared to each other. It is simple to create a line graph in Excel or PowerPoint but to make it look professional… Continue reading 7 steps to make a professional looking line graph in Excel or PowerPoint

A column graph or chart is used to compare values to each other. It typically compares values in only a single data series. It is simple to create in Excel or PowerPoint, but making it look professional takes attention to the details of the graph. Here are 7 steps to turn the default column graph… Continue reading 7 Steps to make a professional looking column graph in Excel or PowerPoint

How do you choose the right chart to report results or analysis? Don’t select a chart or graph just because it looks cool or pretty. In this video I share the two big issues with putting spreadsheets on slides, the three reasons business professionals put spreadsheets on slides, and introduce a structured way to identify… Continue reading How to choose the right chart in Excel