Waterfall Charts: A Better Alternative to Line/Bar Plot

Another hidden gem for data visualization.

To visualize the change in value over time, a line (or bar) plot may not always be an apt choice.

A line-plot (or bar-plot) depicts the actual values in the chart. Thus, at times, it can be difficult to visually estimate the scale of incremental changes.

Instead, create a waterfall chart. It elegantly depicts these rolling differences.

Here, the start and final values are represented by the first and last bars. Also, the marginal changes are automatically color-coded, making them easier to interpret.

Over to you: What are some other cases where Bar/Line plots aren’t an ideal choice?

Read more here: GitHub.

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Find the code for my tips here: GitHub.

I like to explore, experiment and write about data science concepts and tools. You can read my articles on Medium. Also, you can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter.