Excel’s New Charting Engine

Tim Husty

The author…

Stephen Few* IT innovator, consultant, and teacher* Principal of the consultancy, “Perceptual Edge”

-data visualization of quantitative info.* MBA Program, Univ. of California* Author

-Show Me the Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten

-The Effective Visual Communication of Data

The Topic…

Microsoft Excel (before/during 2004)

▪ * Too Much “Fluff”▪ * Customers are susceptible to “flash and

dazzle”▪ * Doesn’t focus on the data▪ * LESS is MORE

For Example…

For Example…

For Example…

Microsoft Excel 2007…

New Excel Chart Wizard

▪ * Claimed to be easier, less confusing▪ * Effective data communication

* “… Once a user has chosen a chart type, there are a variety of charting features that can help the user communicate their data effectively. In previous versions of Excel, these are scattered around through a variety of dialog boxes, making it hard for all but the most diligent users to take advantage of the settings. For Office 2007, we studied a massive number of charts that we found in publications, books, and Excel spreadsheets to determine the most common combinations of chart elements such as titles, legend, data table, etc. From this, we created a gallery of predefined chart layouts (e.g., combinations of chart elements) that can be applied with one click.”

Microsoft Excel 2007…

“Once you’ve chosen a chart in Excel 2007, you will be able to modify it in various ways, accessed through three new tabs labeled Design, Layout, and Format. When I first readabout this, I had no idea how these tabs differed in functionality, because we tend to use the terms design, layout, and format as synonyms. Expecting that a little reading would clear this up, here’s how the explanation of the design tab begins:”

The Design tab allows users to set the style and layout of a chart. In addition, this is where you change the chart type, change the data source, move thechart, and a few other things.

What about Microsoft?...

Microsoft Excel has virtually no competition▪ * Excel is the leading program for

quantitative data

In Conclusion…

Microsoft Excel 2007▪ * Though better, STILL distracting end-

users▪ * Microsoft did not accomplish goal

In Conclusion…

Effective communication on topic Not “important” to average user

▪ * some find it as strongpoint

Questions?