Types of Diagrams in PowerPoint

Presenting data is one of the most common content types in presentations. Speakers are often faced with the task of presenting their data in a way that directs the audience’s attention to the key messages.

Storytelling & Data Visualization

Speakers should focus on telling a story with data. Storytelling is one of the most effective means of connecting with the audience and capturing their attention. Why? Because stories generate emotions and allow you to better reach your audience.

Presenting raw data without proper preparation will inevitably lead to losing the audience’s interest. The audience will unconsciously begin to orient themselves in the presented data series and interpret it, which consumes a significant portion of their concentration.

The challenge is to integrate complex and dry numbers into the narrative in a way that the audience can follow the argumentation. The key to success lies in communicating through targeted data visualizations.

The most well-known and popular form of data visualization is the diagram. The use of diagrams in PowerPoint presentations is practical due to the convenient integration of PowerPoint with Excel functions.

However, it is important to always consider the message that the presented data is intended to convey and the type of data involved. Not every diagram is suitable for every dataset.

• Is it relative or absolute numbers?
• How many dimensions do I want to represent?
• Am I presenting compositions or developments?

These are just a few examples of the questions you should ask yourself before choosing a diagram for your presentation.

The 18 Most Important Types of Diagrams in PowerPoint

We have summarized the most well-known chart types, along with their advantages, applications, and limitations. Now, let’s explore these diagram types and find the one that best suits your data and goals, allowing you to create a clear and compelling presentation.

1. Column Chart

The column chart is the most commonly used and simplest type of diagram. By representing data through the varying heights of the columns, you can visually illustrate data and its differences.

The strengths of the column chart lie in depicting fluctuations over a period of time or comparing different subjects of investigation.

Example: Revenues of different departments per year.

2. Bar Chart

The bar chart is simply a rotated version of the column chart. Like the column chart, the bar chart represents data and their differences through the distribution of bar sizes.

The major advantage of this chart type is that the horizontal orientation of the bars allows for the use of longer labels, such as survey questions.

Example: This chart type is excellent for representing rankings.

3. Stacked Column Chart

The stacked chart (also known as a cumulative or stacked chart) can represent the individual components of a composite whole. This chart type is suitable when comparing the composition of something over different time periods or with a different composition.

Example: Composition of cost components over a period of time.

4. Line Chart

The line chart is used for comparing and representing temporal trends. The overlapping lines can be directly compared, making it easy to visualize developments and trends.

Example: Stock prices.

5. Area Chart

The area chart is a modified form of the line chart. In this chart, the area between two lines or between the line and the X-axis is filled with color.

This allows for highlighting the relative relationship between two quantities graphically. This type of representation is particularly useful for visualizing operational and strategic gaps.

Example: Gap analysis.

6. Pie Chart

Pie and donut charts represent compositions of a whole as slices of a pie. The major strength of these charts is visualizing relative proportions.

Example: However, pie charts are not suitable for representing temporal sequences.

7. Combination Chart

Combination charts are a combination of two different chart types. They are excellent for presenting the relationship between two data series with different scales. The most common variant is the combination of bar and line charts.

Example: Revenue (in millions) and number of employees (up to 100).

8. Radar Chart

The spider chart, also known as a star or radar chart, is particularly useful for displaying the development or characteristics of predefined criteria. Each category has its own axis, with the zero point located at the center.

Example: Comparing two companies based on predefined criteria (including benchmarking).

9. Portfolio Diagram

The bubble chart, also known as a portfolio chart, stands out with its three dimensions. The X and Y axes represent the measurement of a variable defined for each axis, while the size of the bubble represents a third dimension.

Example: BCG matrix (depicting market growth, relative market share, and revenue).

10. Waterfall Chart

The waterfall chart is a special form of the bar chart. It shows an initial value that is increased or decreased by additional values. Finally, the end value is depicted.

Example: Breaking down total costs into individual costs.

11. Bubble Chart

A bubble chart is used in data visualization to represent relationships between three or more variables. The data points are represented as circles (bubbles), where the position of the bubbles on the X and Y axes represents the two main variables. The size of the bubbles represents a third variable.

Example: Creating a market share overview where revenue and product quantity are represented on the X and Y axes, and the respective market share is indicated by the different sizes of the bubbles.

12. Scatter Diagram

A scatter plot is used to represent the relationship between two continuous variables. The purpose of a scatter plot is to visualize the correlation or pattern between these variables.

Example: Examining the relationship between age and income.

13. Sales Funnel

A funnel chart is used to represent the different stages of a process or sales pipeline. The shape of the funnel is crucial in the visualization, with the wider end representing the first stage and the narrower end representing the final stage.

Example: Analyzing a sales pipeline.

14. Pyramid Chart

Pyramid charts are primarily used to represent demographic information in an easily understandable way. The chart depicts a vertically oriented, two-dimensional histogram.

Example: Visualizing the age structure and gender distribution of a population.

15. Gantt Chart

A Gantt chart is used to visually represent the activities of a project in a time-oriented table format. It provides an overview of how much time is required for each activity and when it will be completed.

Example: Presentation and management of a construction project.

16. Venn Diagram

Venn diagrams are a practical method for illustrating overlapping or interconnected relationships. They provide a visual representation of the relationships and dependencies within a complex set of elements.

Example: Analyzing the similarities and differences between different customer segments in a company.

17. Process Diagram (for example Flowchart)

Process diagrams, such as flowcharts, are excellent for presenting processes and workflows in a clear and organized manner.

Example: Illustrating and analyzing a customer service process in a company.

18. Organizational Chart

An organizational chart is used to structure and organize a company or project, allowing for the clear representation of hierarchies.

Example: Presenting a product range or service offering in a clear and organized manner.

Conclusion: Finding the Right Chart Types for Your Purposes

In conclusion, you can find the right type of diagram for your purposes by referring to our 18 chart types and determining which one best suits your needs. With the appropriate diagram, you can visualize content much more easily and quickly, making it understandable for your audience.