What chart types are suitable for showcasing data hierarchy?

A sunburst chart is a good choice for displaying hierarchical data:

Structure: Each level of the hierarchy is represented by a ring or circle, with the innermost circle being the top of the hierarchy.

Appearance: A sunburst chart without hierarchical data looks like a doughnut chart.

Other types of charts include:

• Line chart
• Bar graph
• Pie chart
• Scatter plot
• Area chart
• Histogram

Treemap charts:

Treemaps are hierarchical charts that allow you to visualize data as nested rectangles. These rectangles or branches convey the structure and distribution of data, making treemaps useful for visualizing categorical and hierarchical relationships.

Data hierarchy is best visualized using charts and diagrams that represent parent-child relationships and structured levels. The following chart types are particularly effective: 

1. Tree Diagram (Hierarchy Chart)

Why: Simple and intuitive, this chart directly represents parent-child relationships in a hierarchical structure.

Best For: Organizational structures, decision trees, or taxonomies.

2. Treemap

Why: Displays proportions and hierarchical relationships using nested rectangles, combining clarity with compactness.

Best For: Visualizing hierarchical data with size comparisons, such as market share by company and product.

3. Sunburst Chart

Why: Provides a circular visualization of hierarchy, which can be visually engaging and space-efficient.

Best For: Showing multiple levels of a hierarchy, like categories and subcategories.

4. Org Chart (Organizational Chart)

Why: Specifically designed for representing team structures or reporting hierarchies.

Best For: Corporate organizational hierarchies and team layouts.

5. Icicle Chart

Why: Offers a clean, linear way to show levels of a hierarchy with intuitive stacked rectangles.

Best For: Analyzing depth and breadth in data, such as folder structures or workflows.

These chart types are widely used, visually intuitive, and supported by most data visualization tools.

To effectively showcase data hierarchy, the following chart types are suitable:

Tree Map

Displays hierarchical data as nested rectangles. Each branch of the hierarchy is represented by a rectangle, with its sub-branches shown as smaller rectangles inside it. Useful for comparing proportions within the hierarchy.

Sunburst Chart

Represents hierarchical data as concentric circles. The innermost circle represents the top level, and subsequent levels are represented by surrounding rings.

Dendrogram (Tree Diagram)

Visualizes hierarchical relationships as a branching structure, similar to an organizational chart. It is useful for showing parent-child relationships.

Indented Tree Chart

Presents hierarchical data in a format similar to an outline, with indentation levels representing the hierarchy depth.

Hierarchy Bar Chart

Combines a bar chart with hierarchical grouping, showing data within categories and subcategories.

Circle Packing Chart

Visualizes hierarchical data as nested circles. Larger circles represent higher-level categories, and smaller circles within them represent subcategories.

Organizational Chart

Displays a structured, top-down view of hierarchical data, commonly used for organizational structures.

Suitable Chart Types for Showcasing Data Hierarchy in Power BI

1. Decomposition Tree

• Helps in visualizing hierarchical structures by breaking down data step by step. Ideal for analyzing data across multiple levels of a hierarchy.

2. Bar/Column Chart with Drill-Down

• Allows drilling down into specific categories to see subcategories.
• Great for hierarchical comparisons.

3. Pie Chart with Drill-Down

• Highlights hierarchical relationships by enabling drill-down into slices.
• Clustered Bar/Stacked Bar Chart with Drill-Down
• Useful for viewing parts of a whole at different hierarchy levels.

4. Hierarchical Bar Charts

• While not as commonly used, these can be an excellent choice when you want a straightforward, linear representation of hierarchy levels. It’s especially effective for audiences who prefer simplicity over complex visuals.

Pro Tips:

• Enable drill-down and expand to the next level features in visualizations like bar/column charts to enhance hierarchy exploration.
• Combine visuals like tree maps with slicers for interactive exploration of hierarchical data.

Suitable Chart Types for Showcasing Data Hierarchy in Power BI
 

1. Table Matrix:

• The table matrix is the simplest and most versatile option. It supports both row and column-level hierarchies, allowing users to drill down through multiple levels of data effortlessly.
   

2. Column Chart:

• A column chart can also handle data hierarchy, combining different levels of hierarchy and enabling separate drill-downs. It’s great for visualizing data while still giving the flexibility to explore deeper levels of information.
   

Key Tip: Any chart that supports drill-down functionality can showcase data hierarchy effectively. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the "Next hierarchy" and "Expand to the next level" buttons in Power BI—these are essential for navigating through your hierarchical data smoothly.

For showcasing data hierarchy, Tree Maps and Sunburst Charts are particularly effective.

Tree Maps: This chart type displays hierarchical data as a set of nested rectangles, where each branch of the hierarchy is represented by a colored rectangle containing smaller rectangles that represent sub-branches.

Example: A Tree Map could be used to show the breakdown of a company’s revenue by department, with each department subdivided into different product lines.

Sunburst Charts: This is a radial chart that displays hierarchies through concentric circles. The inner circle represents the top-level data, with each outward ring representing the next level of the hierarchy.

Example: A Sunburst Chart could illustrate the organizational structure of a company, with the CEO at the center, surrounded by concentric rings of departments, teams, and individual roles.

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Both charts allow you to visualize the relationship between different levels of data, making them ideal for presenting complex hierarchical structures in a clear and digestible format, but keep in mind that these are just two examples of many and your choice must take in consideration the context of the data, the audience of your analysis etc.