Chart Types Guide
Choose the right visualization for your data story. This guide covers all available chart types and when to use each one.
Bar charts display data using rectangular bars with lengths proportional to the values they represent.
- Comparing quantities across categories
- Showing distribution of issues by status, assignee, or type
- Displaying project metrics side-by-side
- Orientation: Horizontal or vertical bars
- Stacking: Normal, stacked, or percentage stacked
- Sorting: By value, alphabetical, or custom order
- Colors: Individual bar colors or gradient schemes
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Issue Status Distribution
- Group by: Status
- Shows: Number of issues in each status
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Team Workload
- Group by: Assignee
- Shows: Issue count per team member
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Project Comparison
- Group by: Project
- Shows: Metrics across multiple projects
Line charts display data points connected by straight line segments, ideal for showing trends over time.
- Tracking changes over time periods
- Showing velocity trends
- Monitoring bug discovery/resolution rates
- Displaying cumulative flow
- Line Style: Solid, dashed, or dotted
- Point Markers: Show/hide data points
- Smoothing: Apply curve smoothing
- Multiple Lines: Compare multiple data series
- Trend Lines: Add linear or polynomial trend lines
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Sprint Velocity
- X-axis: Sprint
- Y-axis: Story points completed
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Bug Trend Analysis
- X-axis: Time period
- Y-axis: Number of bugs
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Cumulative Flow
- X-axis: Date
- Y-axis: Cumulative issue count
Pie charts show data as slices of a circular graph, with each slice representing a proportion of the whole.
- Showing proportions and percentages
- Displaying distribution of a total
- Comparing parts to the whole
- Maximum 5-7 categories for clarity
- Slice Labels: Show values, percentages, or both
- Legend Position: Top, bottom, left, or right
- Donut Style: Convert to donut chart
- Exploded Slices: Emphasize specific segments
- Color Schemes: Categorical or sequential
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Issue Type Distribution
- Shows: Percentage of bugs vs. features vs. tasks
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Priority Breakdown
- Shows: Distribution of issues by priority level
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Time Allocation
- Shows: Percentage of time spent on different activities
Area charts are similar to line charts but with the area below the line filled with color or pattern.
- Showing cumulative totals over time
- Displaying volume changes
- Comparing multiple data series
- Emphasizing magnitude of change
- Stacking: Normal, stacked, or stream graph
- Transparency: Adjust fill opacity
- Gradient Fills: Apply color gradients
- Baseline: Start from zero or custom value
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Cumulative Story Points
- X-axis: Sprint timeline
- Y-axis: Cumulative points
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Resource Utilization
- X-axis: Time period
- Y-axis: Hours allocated
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Multi-Project Progress
- Stacked areas for each project
Scatter charts display values for two variables as points on a coordinate system.
- Finding correlations between variables
- Identifying patterns and outliers
- Analyzing relationships
- Risk assessment matrices
- Point Size: Fixed or variable based on third dimension
- Point Shape: Circles, squares, triangles, etc.
- Trend Lines: Linear, polynomial, or logarithmic
- Quadrants: Divide chart into regions
- Bubble Mode: Add third dimension via bubble size
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Effort vs. Value Analysis
- X-axis: Estimated effort
- Y-axis: Business value
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Bug Complexity
- X-axis: Time to fix
- Y-axis: Severity level
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Team Performance
- X-axis: Issues completed
- Y-axis: Average resolution time
Tables display data in rows and columns, providing detailed information in a structured format.
- Showing detailed data
- Providing sortable/filterable views
- Displaying multiple attributes
- Exporting data for analysis
- Column Selection: Choose which fields to display
- Sorting: Multi-column sorting capability
- Filtering: Column-level filters
- Pagination: Control rows per page
- Formatting: Conditional formatting rules
- Totals: Show sum/average rows
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Issue Details List
- Columns: Key, Summary, Status, Assignee, Priority
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Sprint Report
- Columns: Issue, Points, Status, Days remaining
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Team Metrics
- Columns: Member, Issues, Points, Avg. resolution
Combine multiple chart types to show different data series with appropriate visualizations.
- Line + Bar: Trends with volume
- Area + Line: Cumulative with current
- Stacked Bar + Line: Distribution with trend
- Dual Axes: Different scales for each series
- Series Assignment: Choose chart type per data series
- Synchronization: Link interactions between series
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Burndown with Scope Changes
- Bars: Scope changes
- Line: Remaining work
-
Velocity with Team Size
- Bars: Story points
- Line: Team members
| Data Type |
Best Chart Types |
Avoid |
| Time Series |
Line, Area |
Pie |
| Proportions |
Pie, Donut |
Line |
| Comparisons |
Bar, Column |
Area |
| Relationships |
Scatter |
Pie |
| Distribution |
Bar, Histogram |
Line |
| Part-to-Whole |
Pie, Stacked Bar |
Scatter |
"I want to show..."
- Changes over time → Line or Area Chart
- Comparison between items → Bar Chart
- Proportions of a whole → Pie Chart
- Relationships between variables → Scatter Chart
- Detailed data → Table View
- Multiple metrics → Combination Chart
- Bar: Optimal for 5-20 categories
- Line: Best with 20-100 data points
- Pie: Maximum 7 slices for clarity
- Scatter: Can handle 100-500 points
- Table: Paginate for >50 rows
- Real-time: Line, Bar
- Periodic: All types
- On-demand: Table, Scatter
All chart types include:
- Keyboard navigation
- Screen reader support
- High contrast modes
- Color-blind friendly palettes
- Text alternatives
| Chart Type |
PNG |
JPG |
SVG |
CSV |
PDF |
| Bar |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Line |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Pie |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Area |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Scatter |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
| Table |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
✅ |
✅ |
Need help choosing? Contact our support team for guidance.
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