5 Ways to Make Beautiful Financial Charts and Graphs in Excel

Making financial charts and graphs in Excel can be challenging, especially if you lack guidance on how to do it. It is dangerous when you let creepy Excel graphs and charts get the room into your data presentation during marketing. Remember that the data you use should work to trigger action and not contradict your readers. The data should send a clear message that the business stakeholders can use when adopting new marketing methodologies. 

When data is presented in the form of charts and graphs, it should be easier for the readers to understand and take the necessary action. Anytime you're dealing with data revolving around the financial status of a business or organization, you need to be extremely careful to avoid messing around. This is why you need to learn more about the best practices when composing charts and graphs during data visualization. 

Regardless of what you are using the data for, you need to ensure that the final output is convincing and delivers a clear message. When you display your data using a poor format, it will automatically lose meaning and affect the general objective of the business. To ensure that your data communicates a clear message to your readers, you need to make proper use of Microsoft Excel when composing the charts and graphs. 

Even though Excel guarantees quality work, you need to have proper guidance on how to navigate the process in order to design beautiful financial charts and graphs that reciprocate the data at hand. Advanced Excel charts offer an expansive room for data visualization since they are equipped with features and tools that make work pretty easy and save time. 

When you want to make financial charts in Excel, there are different ways that you need to adopt in order to generate quality output. This article elaborates on different ways that you can put into practice when creating financial charts and graphs in Excel. Let's read on! 

1. Choose the Right Graph or Chart

Before you start making any changes to your design, you need to fast ensure that you are dealing with the right chart or graph type. Also, you need to evaluate the chart and ensure that your data is displayed in the optimal format possible. Different types of charts and graphs are used to tell a story about the data you present to them. Ensure that you choose the most appropriate chart that tells the exact story that you need delivered to your target market. 

When you want to compare data categories in financial datasets, you can use bar and pie charts designed to complete this type of activity. A pie chart is designed to compare data in the part of a whole, while a bar chart is capable of comparing anything. Bar graphs are easier to use when comparing data since they are easier to create and interpret compared to other chart types.

Before you start creating any chart, you need to analyze the data you have and ensure that you pick on the most suitable charting tool that aligns with the data and your objective. 

2. Eliminate  the Background Lines

Graphs are mainly meant to give a vivid description of your data that readers can easily point out without digging deep into the data. Nobody aims to look at your graphs to point out the incremental differences available. All the traders want to see is the general message in the chart and any other existing trends and patterns that can easily be pointed out.

In order to help your readers focus on what matters in the chart, eliminate the background lines to avoid confusing them. These lines tend to distract readers, thus affecting the message you intended to deliver to your audience. When creating charts, remember that people only focus on the major takeaways they can easily find out without wasting much time. To make your charts stand out, ensure that they deliver a clear message without the lines on them. 

3. Remove Unnecessary Styling 

Even though most people like including styles in their financial charts and graphs, it is not always necessary. When including styles in your charts and graphs, you need to ensure that you only incorporate them when necessary to help you deliver the right message. Unnecessary styles on your graphs and charts are likely to distract your readers since they are likely to focus on the wrong thing, which will affect the message delivery.

You need to eliminate shadows, outlines and other inappropriate elements that make your charts appear stuffed. Note that the way you present your data to your target market, you also send a message about how your organization does things. You can as well use this approach to create an exceptional reputation for your business brand or organization based on the professionalism involved in your financial charts and graphs. 

4. Avoid Using 3D Effects 

3D effects are mostly overused during data visualization. Even though many people consider this approach thinking that it is one of the most efficient and effective ways to use data visualization, the truth is that it ruins the message you intend to deliver. Most people who use it always want to make their data appear fancy and attractive to the readers. The reality is that this approach makes data difficult to read and interpret, contrary to what people believe. 

Given that the data appears to be tilted, it gives the reader a skewed sense which is negative during data interpretation. Since data is used when you want to tell a detailed story, using 3D effects is not suitable since the readers are likely to get tired, struggling to read through it. You should not weaken your argument due to the use of a poor data design to present your point. 

The best way to do this is to avoid using 3D effects during data presentation in order to make your message clear and concise. 

5. Sort Your Bar Graph Data to Make it Intuitive

When you are using a bar graph to present your data, this element can make a significant impact on your data presentation. This will help you to make it easier for you to figure out outliers, patterns and trends with a lot of ease. The simplest way to align your data on a bar graph is to arrange it, ranging from the smallest to the largest. The goal is to save time taken for the reader to point out the patterns, trends, and outliers. 

If the bar graph is displayed horizontally, ensure that the larger data values are displayed at the top. If you are using a vertical format, arrange the data values ranging from the left to the right depending on the largest and the smallest values. Display your data to reflect the patterns and trends you want your readers to depict. 

The best approach to apply in bar charts is to arrange your data properly in a way that your readers will enjoy reading through it. Also, this approach will make your chart descent and appeal to the eye, which is vital during data visualization. 

Bottom Line

Microsoft Excel is a reliable option when you want to design beautiful financial charts that communicate a clear message to your target market. However, you will need to abide by the basic rules that will make your work easier and deliver the right message. Even though the process might seem difficult initially, having basic knowledge of how to visualize data will take a long way. 

When creating financial charts and graphs, it's vital to focus on creating simple data output rather than complex visuals. This guide offers the basic knowledge required when designing Excel financial charts and graphs.