Area Chart
Area charts are graphical representations where the area between a line connecting data points and the axis is filled, emphasizing the magnitude of change over time. They're particularly effective at showing cumulative totals, part-to-whole relationships, and visualizing the volume of trends rather than just their direction.
Definition
Area charts are graphical representations where the area between a line connecting data points and the axis is filled, emphasizing the magnitude of change over time. They're particularly effective at showing cumulative totals, part-to-whole relationships, and visualizing the volume of trends rather than just their direction.
Examples
Financial performance showing revenue, costs, and profit trends over time with filled areas emphasizing the magnitude of each metric
Chart Visualization
This example includes an interactive chart visualization with 4 data points.
Chart type: area
Non-stacked area chart showing device usage distribution
Chart Visualization
This example includes an interactive chart visualization with 5 data points.
Chart type: area
Usage
Best Used For
- Showing trends over time with emphasis on magnitude
- Visualizing cumulative data and running totals
- Comparing multiple data series with focus on relative size
- Displaying part-to-whole relationships when stacked
- Highlighting the volume or quantity aspect of a trend
Data Requirements
[Object]
Limitations
Important Considerations
- ⚠Can be misleading when stacked due to baseline shifts for upper series
- ⚠Difficult to read exact values, especially for middle segments in stacked versions
- ⚠Limited to time-series or sequential data with continuous nature
- ⚠May obscure important pattern details visible in simpler line charts
Best Used For
- Showing trends over time with emphasis on magnitude
- Visualizing cumulative data and running totals
- Comparing multiple data series with focus on relative size
- Displaying part-to-whole relationships when stacked
- Highlighting the volume or quantity aspect of a trend
