Best Practices with Bar Graphs (20 Dec 2004)

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Best Practices with Bar Graphs (20 Dec 2004)
If, on the contrary, you have a temporal axis and you are interested in comparing specific values, then the bar graph is the appropriate one. Bars convey continuity in a much worse way than lines, nevertheless they are very useful to allow the user to compare particular values.

Vertical or horizontal bars?

According to Koslyn, as a general principle, the properties of the visual pattern shouldn’t be in contradiction with the real properties of what is being represented. For example, heights are better represented with vertical bars than with horizontal ones, while lengths are better shown with horizontal ones.

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