diff --git a/explore-analyze/toc.yml b/explore-analyze/toc.yml index eb67af306d..5b71034599 100644 --- a/explore-analyze/toc.yml +++ b/explore-analyze/toc.yml @@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ toc: - file: dashboards/create-dashboard-of-panels-with-ecommerce-data.md - file: visualize.md children: + - file: visualize/choose-your-chart.md - file: visualize/supported-chart-types.md - file: visualize/visualize-library.md - file: visualize/manage-panels.md diff --git a/explore-analyze/visualize/choose-your-chart.md b/explore-analyze/visualize/choose-your-chart.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..abeda1027d --- /dev/null +++ b/explore-analyze/visualize/choose-your-chart.md @@ -0,0 +1,81 @@ +--- +mapped_pages: + - https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/kibana/current/chart-types.html +applies_to: + stack: ga + serverless: ga +products: + - id: kibana +--- + + +# Choose your chart [choose-your-chart] + + +Use this guide to pick the most effective visualization. +### OPTION A + + +**I want to visualize trend in time** + + +| My data | My goal | Best choice | Why | +| --- | --- | --- | --- | +| I have one data series | I want to track time-based changes to quickly spot issues rather than perform detailed analysis. | Line chart, Bar chart | Ideal for spotting small changes day‑to‑day changes (or across any time period). | +| | I want to show overall intensity | Heatmap | Great for quickly assessing periods of high vs. low activity. | +| I have more data series | I want to show differences among data series | Line chart, Grouped Bar chart, Heatmap | Keeping lines close or bars grouped enables quick, across-series comparison. | +| | I want to show the sum of the data series | Stacked Bar chart, Area chart | Ideal for aggregating values into a single total to see overall behavior. | + + +**I have one or more values to display** + + +| My data | My goal | Best choice | Why | +| ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------| ----------------- | --- | +| I have one value | I want to display a single value | Metric chart, Bullet | Ideal for showing a single value, for example a KPI. To compare against targets, consider a Gauge in bullet style. | +| I have more values | I want to display the sum of the values as part of something | Bar chart | Great for fast comparison and clear ranking across series | +| | I want to show their cumulative value | Treemap chart, Pie chart, Single Stacked bar chart | Also called “part‑to‑whole” charts, they show how an item compares to, and contributes to, the whole. + + +### OPTION B + + +| **Chart type** | **Use when you want to...** | +| --- | --- | +| Line chart | Show how a metric changes over time or another continuous dimension. | +| Area chart | Show change over time while emphasizing cumulative magnitude or part-to-whole stacking. | +| Bar chart | Compare values across discrete categories or show distributions with histogram buckets. | +| Metric chart | Highlight a single KPI or a small set of critical numbers. | +| Table chart | Present precise values, rankings, or multi-metric details in a compact layout. | +| Pie chart | Show simple part-to-whole composition with a small number of categories (generally ≤ 5). | +| Treemap chart | Visualize hierarchical part-to-whole across categories and subcategories. | +| Mosaic chart | Compare part-to-whole across two categorical dimensions in a tiled layout. | +| Gauge chart | Show progress toward a target or status against thresholds for a single metric. | +| Heat map chart | Reveal patterns by magnitude across two binned dimensions using color. | +| Region chart | Show geospatial patterns by coloring regions based on aggregated values (choropleth). | +| Waffle chart | Show part-to-whole as a grid of equal cells where filled cells represent proportion. | +| Tag cloud chart | Emphasize the most frequent terms; font size reflects relative magnitude. | +| Legacy metric chart | Maintain existing legacy panels; prefer the modern Metric chart for new visuals. | + + +## Best practices + + +- Keep composition simple + - Prefer Donut/Pie only with a few categories; otherwise use Treemap, Waffle, or Bar. +- Customize the appearance + - Adjust the appearance options as suggested in [Customize the visualization display](./lens.md#configure-the-visualization-components) +- Be thoughtful with color + - Use consistent, meaningful color mapping for categories. Check [Assign colors to terms](./lens.md#assign-colors-to-terms). +- Mind accessibility + - Ensure contrast and avoid relying on color alone to convey meaning. +- Show uncertainty and gaps appropriately + - For time series, choose how to handle missing values. See options in [Visualization appearance](./lens.md#customize-visualization-appearance). +- Choose the right level of precision + - Use Tables for exact values; use charts to reveal patterns and trends at a glance. + + +## Next steps in Lens + + +Create and refine a visualization: [Create visualizations](./lens.md#create-the-visualization-panel).