Uncharted Part 1 – The Basics
In our new article series, we are going to guide you in the world of charts. The first post is about the basics of chart-making: why and how should we begin using them? In the upcoming articles you will get to know those types of charts that are not included in Microsoft Office but which are indispensable tools of a consultant’s Swiss Army Knife. Let’s get into it!
Everyone loves charts. Those who do not, may still be persuaded by Marshall* from HYMIM in the video above.
Why?
On a more serious note: why are charts important? Many people think these figures are misleading while they are actually just wonderful tools for delivering information. The charts are:
- Visual. Who would not want to see a nice, colorful chart instead a boring slide with texts?
- Compact. They compact the data in one diagram.
- Easy to understand. Written description is not only more boring but also takes more time to deliver the message. One can understand a good chart in seconds.
Based on these, it is evident that charts comprise an important part of business presentations. And of course it is highly recommended to smuggle a couple of them in case study solutions as well.
How?
The next question is how. It is not easy to make a really effective chart as it has been demonstrated well by the many unsuccessful attempts. There are several acclaimed methodologies concerning the answer to the previous question, of which the most useful is by Gene Zelazny**:
The main element of his methodology is the chart selector above. Selecting the appropriate comparison requires some practice but besides that, the model speaks for itself.
What is even more important is the message. As Zelazny also points out in his book Say It With Charts, the most common mistake that people make is that they want to use charts to present data. Only this is a bad practice. Charts are fundamentally for transferring information. A good chart shows the essence in the clearest and most simple way. It does not contain any detail that can distract the audience from the message, but at the same time it provides all the information necessary to comprehend it. What this means exactly, you will learn from our next article.
Comments
* Marshall really loves charts, but for especially interested in the topic we recommend Barney’s approach as well.
** Zelazny in his free time is the director in charge of visual communication at McKinsey. One of his former colleagues there, Andrew V. Abela prepared another interesting, extended model which can be found here.