Pie charts are very effective when it comes to getting your message across to an audience. However, they have been used so often by so many companies that the meaning has been lost in translation. There is no longer anything impactful about a pie chart on its own after countless organizations have stuffed them into their presentations and marketing collateral over the years. When you add in the fact that they also need some sort of context, they can quickly become even more confusing than informative. Look For in an Effective Pie Chart Maker
This is where pie chart makers come into play. They provide us with the chance to show our viewers exactly what we want them to see using images instead of words or complex graphics software. Pie chart maker websites allow users to upload data sets and design a customizable pie chart from scratch without the need for any fancy software. However, not all of these sites are created equal, and it can be hard to choose the right one without a bit of guidance.
Read on for some insight into how we use their services and what you should look for when making your next pie graph:
1. Data Transparency
The most important part of any good pie chart is that its data is completely transparent. Although this seems like a no-brainer, there are a lot of websites that make pie charts that do not show where they got their data from or how they arrived at their findings. This can cause a lot of confusion and result in your pie chart not being taken seriously. The best way to avoid this problem is to stick with one of the reputable sites.
2. Customizable Colors
This seems like an obvious choice, but you would be surprised at how many poorly designed pie charts lack this basic element. In order to get the most out of your data visualization tool, it’s important that you are able to select from a variety of colors, whether it means choosing from a list or picking them yourself from a color wheel.
This will give you the chance to make your pie chart match your brand, choose the perfect color scheme for your data or convey a specific message to your audience.
3. Customizable Text
Having the ability to customize the text on your pie chart is almost as important as being able to select colors. Why? Well, it’s not always immediately clear what certain words are referring to when they appear in the context of a chart.
Does %30 refer to 30% or do you need an additional zero? Is $25,000 too much money or just right?
These are all questions that can be easily answered when you add in some quick and easy descriptions with the right tool. The easier they make it for you to provide this context, the better off everyone will be when looking at it down the road. You can also include a title and a subtitle for even more context. Whether you are making an annual report or you’re just delivering the month’s financial statement, you’ll find this feature quite helpful.
4. Customizable Sizes
The size of your data sets will play a big role in the effectiveness of your final product, so it’s important to have complete control over what goes into each section of your pie chart. At the very least you should be able to choose from a range of colors that includes all or most commonly used increments such as 50%, 25% or 10%.
However, if you absolutely need to have sections with specific values, it makes sense to look for pie chart makers that give you this kind of freedom because other tools can get a little clunky when creating a perfect set piece by piece. For example, choosing the color at 90% and then switching it back to 50% can be a frustrating process.
5. Pie Chart Designer
This is the part where many graph makers fail miserably. Although they offer a ton of customization options for your pie chart, there are only so many that give you the chance to create one yourself without having to rely on their pre-made images or templates.
For example, some websites require you to choose one of their predetermined designs and then place data points over each section in order to get an accurate representation of what your final product will look like. This method often results in inaccurate conclusions about how your audience will read the information presented because it’s difficult for users to convey exactly what they want with preset images alone.
It makes much more sense to be able to adjust your pie chart to fit perfectly in the space provided, regardless of its shape or size. This gives you complete freedom when trying to envision your final product without having to rely on guesswork or second-hand information.
If you are clueless about where to start, check out Venngage. The platform has everything you need to make a pie chart easily and quickly. It’s easy to use for both novice and expert designers.
Check out Venngage today!