Even if you have a wealth of information, it can be of little to no use when it’s presented in a complex way. Spreadsheets with what seem to be never-ending numbers and formulas are often overwhelming and off-putting, which lowers the chances of anyone engaging or delving deeper into them. But if we dress up data in clever and beautiful charts, they instantly become inviting and impossible to ignore.
It’s a true art form to display information in a way that is clear and understandable, so we’re celebrating it by sharing charts that are both fascinating and stunning in hopes that they encourage you, our dear Pandas, to learn something new today. Scroll down to see them for yourself, and don’t forget to upvote the ones you found the most interesting!
#1 France Lighthouse Map
Image credits: sand_1011
#2 A Cool Guide To The Most Reliable Car Brands
Image credits: Kayla Zhu
#3 By Using This Form Of Transportation, We Can Protect The Environment, Improve Air Quality, And Reduce The Damage That Cars Cause In Cities
Image credits: rankingroyals
Visualizing information, that is, turning it into charts, graphs, maps, etc., is an important skill to have for anyone nowadays, as it can be used in many contexts and fields.
“Knowing how to develop and deliver a data-driven presentation is now a crucial skill for many professionals, since we often have to tell our colleagues stories that are much more compelling when they’re backed by numbers,” agrees researcher and consultant Alexandra Samuel.
Almost any professional can make use of visual aids to understand data better themselves or make it more accessible to the general public or audience that doesn’t have the technical knowledge required to process it.
#4 Paris 2024 Achieves Gender Equality At The Olympics
Image credits: Pallavi Rao
#5 Never Noticed Giraffes Had Different Patterns
Image credits: knowledgechop
#6 How People Move In America, Europe, And Asia During Weekday Trips
Image credits: Pallavi Rao
However, creating a clear presentation that visualizes data doesn’t just include putting a bar graph here and a pie chart there. That alone doesn’t guarantee a presentation that is easy to understand. To help professionals out, Harvard Business Review partnered with data and presentation experts to deliver a few pieces of advice on how to display your information like a pro.
#7 The Most Expensive Healthcare Systems In The World
Image credits: knowledgechop
#8 What Would You Add To The List?
Image credits: engineers_feed
#9 Tree Cover Of European Capitals
Image credits: GodGivenBirthRight
#10 A Cool Guide To The Wurst Of Germany
Image credits: SteveJB313
The first tip they give is to make sure that your data can be seen. Sometimes what is readable on your laptop might not translate the same way when projected on a screen. Your audience won’t be interested or learn something they can’t see. So try to rehearse the presentation with someone seated from the screen as far away as the actual audience.
#11 The Percentage Of Homes With Air Conditioning Across The World
Image credits: Individual-Sun-9426
#12 The Countries With The Highest Percentage Of Male Hair Loss Are Mainly In The Western Region
Image credits: rankingroyals
#13 Countries Where Cheek Kissing Is A Customary Greeting
Image credits: vladgrinch
The following recommendation is to focus on the points that your data illustrates. Don’t leave your audience to decode the data presented to them.
“Data slides aren’t really about the data. They’re about the meaning of the data,” explains presentation design expert Nancy Duarte. “It’s up to you to make that meaning clear before you click away. Otherwise, the audience won’t process—let alone buy—your argument.”
#14 Countries That Consume Most Fossil Fuel
Image credits: voronoiapp.com
#15 How Many Earths Would We Need If The Entire Global Population Lived Like One Country? Based On Each Country’s Ecological Footprint
Image credits: voronoiapp.com
#16 A Cool Guide To The Carbon Footprint Of Major Travel Methods
Image credits: Bruno Venditti
Similarly, experts discourage sharing too many details at once. Present one, and they stress only one major point from each chart you show. To ensure that happens, ask yourself, "What is the single most important thing that I want my audience to take away from the data presented?"
Data-presentation guru Scott Berinato says, “The impulse is to include everything you know, [but] busy charts communicate the idea that you’ve been just that—busy, as in: ‘Look at all the data I have and the work I’ve done.’”
#17 A Cool Guide To The Wettest And Driest Countries In The World
Image credits: Pallavi Rao
#18 How Many Europeans Born Before World War 1 Are Still Alive?
Image credits: Mackelowsky
#19 Map Of Europe Made Up Of Its National Animals
Image credits: Ibis_Wolfie
While crafting a chart, it’s also advised to clearly label its components. Having watched the visualization for a long time, everything might be clear to you, but the audience will look at it for mere seconds. In those seconds, they need to be able to understand the chart clearly. To achieve this, use simple, clear, and complete language to identify the X and Y axes, pie pieces, bars, and other elements included. Avoid abbreviations that might be confusing to others.
#20 Forests Are Essential Habitats For A Wide Range Of Plant And Animal Species
Image credits: rankingroyals
#21 Number Of US Households That Own A Pet
Image credits: zwei4
#22 The 10 Highest Grossing Film Directors Of All Time
Image credits: Icy_Smoke_733
Over 65% of the population are visual learners, so catering to them is crucial and also contributes to the success of your presentation. An additional tip that appeases visual learners is highlighting what is called an ‘Aha!’ zone—a number or piece of information that is essential to the point you are trying to make. Explaining it out loud and writing it, and highlighting it in your chart helps to reinforce the most important data takeaways.
#23 The World's Richest Pirates
Image credits: reddit.com
#24 Car Ownership Across The World
Image credits: Team_Finshots
#25 The Most Overworked Countries In The World
Image credits: quindiassomigli
Lastly, experts advise presenting to your audience, not your data. People best receive the point you’re trying to make when you’re looking at them. Make critical points to your audience and only occasionally glance at your slides and data.
“When presented clearly and pointedly, data can elevate your point’s credibility and trustworthiness,” Harvard Business Review writes. “Presenting data poorly not only squanders that opportunity but can damage your reputation as a presenter. It’s a powerful t**l to draw out compelling truths—wield it wisely.”
#26 A Cool Guide About How Much Sugar Is In Fanta
Image credits: Upbeat_Pangolin_5929
#27 Countries That Had People Displayed At Zoos
Image credits: reddit.com
#28 Rumored Lake Monsters
Image credits: knowledgechop
#29 The World’s Oldest Individuals Are Those Who Have Lived The Longest Verified Lifespans
Image credits: rankingroyals
#30 Most Common 4 Digit Pin Numbers From An Analysis Of 3.4 Million. The Top 20 Constitute 27% Of All Pin Codes
Image credits: infobeautiful
#31 Top 10 Countries With The Most Internet Users
Image credits: gorillaz0e
#32 42 Of The World’s 50 Deadliest Cities Are In One Region
Image credits: OkinawaNah
#33 Europe's Most Expensive Cities
Image credits: Individual-Sun-9426
#34 Animals That K*ll The Most Humans Per Year
Image credits: Dremarious
#35 Is It Legal To Cook Lobsters?
Image credits: No_Significance_8874
#36 Driving Direction In Europe, 1922
Image credits: bezzleford
#37 USA vs. Europe Work Culture: Nearly 30% Of Europeans Took More Than 25 Vacation Days, While Only 6% Of Americans Took That Much Time Off According To A Survey Of 1,228 Employees
Image credits: toso_o
#38 Where Different Bears Can Be Found
Image credits: knowledgechop
#39 McDonald's Menu Prices Have Collectively Doubled Since 2014
Image credits: carbon_finance
#40 The World Divided Into 4 Equal Parts
Image credits: Bobsytheking1
#41 The Highest Grossing Animated Movies Of All-Time
Image credits: Dremarious
#42 Are One Of The 5 Big Cats In Your Country?
Image credits: Lil_Moose_Man
#43 US Elevation Tiles
Image credits: newishtodc
#44 The World’s Leading Flower Bouquet Exporter
Image credits: knowledgechop
#45 Spain For The Win
Image credits: maps.interlude
#46 30 Years Of Population Change In Europe
Image credits: Pallavi Rao
#47 Price Change In Various Goods & Services, 1997 To 2017
Image credits: smclark206
#48 A Cool Guide To Characters That Will Enter The Public Domain In The Near Future
Image credits: Julia Wendling
#49 How Safe Do People Feel To Walk Alone At Night In Europe
Image credits: dazedeu
#50 Most Popular Soda By US State
Image credits: slappywhyte
