Foundation · Charts and data
Charts and data in depth
Every exhibit type you will meet, how to read each one, the traps that catch candidates, how to handle several exhibits at once, and how to turn what you see into your next hypothesis.
26 min3 lessons Last reviewed
Start lesson 1 Every chart type, and how to read it
Key takeaways
- Each chart type is built to answer one kind of question. Recognize the type, and you know which question to ask of it.
- Before you trust what a chart seems to say, check the axis, the units, and the footnotes: most wrong answers come from skipping these ten seconds.
- When you get several exhibits, find what links them, combine them into one number that answers the question, and end with the next hypothesis to test.
By the end you will be able to
- Read bar, stacked, line, waterfall, Marimekko, scatter, table, dual-axis, and log-scale exhibits
- Spot the common traps: cut-off axes, share versus absolute numbers, footnotes, and units
- Combine several exhibits into one conclusion
- Turn an exhibit into the next hypothesis to test
Lessons
1
Every chart type, and how to read it
Nine exhibit types, what each is best for, and the question to ask when you see it.
10 min
2
Chart traps that catch candidates
Cut-off axes, share versus absolute numbers, footnotes, units, and averages that hide the mix.
7 min
3
Several exhibits at once, and the next hypothesis
Linking two or three exhibits into one conclusion, then saying what to test next.
9 min