Mini Charts | A Different Approach to Charting
To the right we have a section of a standard chart showing some sort of monetary data. It's a very simple display that clearly associates dollar amounts with various years. What it doesn't do, however, is offer any sort of insight into said data.
There are multiple ways to analyze the data provided in this chart; you could create formulas that calculate various measures (standard deviation, mean, etc.), but that would still only give you numbers. You could map each value on a graph, but that could prove confusing with so many data points.
The cleanest way to solve this issue is to use mini (in-line) charts. Mini charts display visual information side-by-side with raw data in order to paint a clearer picture of the story behind the data, particularly trend data.
Take a look at this second chart. It is the same display, but with mini charts embedded in the data:
You'll notice immediately, with the aid of the charts, that patterns exist within the data, regardless of the fact that the embedded lines and bars display no actual numerical data. With a quick scan, you can get a sense for how the data has been doing for the past four years.