CHOICES AND STRATEGIES: Choosing the Appropriate Kind of Graphic

CHOICES AND STRATEGIES: Choosing the Appropriate Kind of Graphic

IF YOU WANT TO . . . TRY THIS TYPE OF GRAPHIC WHAT THIS GRAPHIC DOES BEST
Illustrate numerical information image Shows large amounts of numerical data, especially useful when there are several variables for a number of items
  image Shows the relative values of two or more items.
  image Enlivens statistical information for the general reader.
  image Shows how the quantity of an item changes over time. A line graph can present much more data than a bar graph can.
  image Shows the relative sizes of the parts of a whole. Pie charts are instantly familiar to most readers.
Illustrate logical relationships image Represents relationships among items or properties of items.
  image Shows the lines of authority and responsibility in an organization or hierarchical relationships among items.
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Illustrate process descriptions and instructions 		image Lists or shows what equipment or materials to gather or describes an action.
Illustrate process descriptions and instructions image Shows numbers of items or indicates the state (on/off) of an item.
  image Shows the stages of a procedure or a process.
  image Shows which of two or more paths to follow.
Illustrate visual and spatial characteristics image Shows precisely the external surface of objects.
  image Shows what appears on a computer screen.
  image Shows simplified representations of objects.
  image Shows geographic areas.

Based on W. Horton, “The Almost Universal Language: Graphics for International Documentation” from TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION 40 (1993): 682–693.

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