PowerPoint Presentation : Design a Chart

In the previous post we discussed as how to draw a table in PowerPoint Presentation. Similarly, presentation software enables the user to insert charts in  slides to present statistical table data in a pictorial representation. This ensures that the audience can grasp complex data at a glance. In this exercise you will learn to work with charts. Open a new file using presentation software. To insert a chart in the slide, click on Chart option under Illustrations group in the Insert tab. A dialog box appears as shown below.

You will notice different type of the charts that can be used in the presentation.
       Select a chart type and click OK. A default chart will be inserted on the slide. The default data  table  for  that  chart  will  be  opened  in  a  spreadsheet  application separately as shown below.

You  can  edit  the  values  in  the  spreadsheet  and  the  presentation  software  will automatically update the chart.  Now enter the following in the spreadsheet window:

     Once you have modified the data table in the spreadsheet the chart in the slide gets modified automatically and the chart will displayed similar to the one below.

Now change the values in the spreadsheet and observe the changes in the chart. You can change the colors and effects of the chart by using Chart Styles available under Design tab. To change to a different style, select a style from Chart Styles and double-click on it.
Some basic guidelines are as follows:

• Convey one message per chart. Make the message the heading.
• Make the chart easy to read. Label the X and Y axis and label the lines, bars, or pie wedges. Make  the most important  text  largest,  the most important data  lines or sections darkest. 
• Make bars and columns wider than the spaces between them.
• Be accurate. Always start a numerical axis at zero. Compare only like variables.
• Eliminate all unnecessary details. Avoid grid  lines, data points, boxes, etc. unless they relate to the message. 
• Use a few (maximum four) colors per visual.

Importing a chart 
You can also import a chart from a spreadsheet. The method is the same as importing a table into presentation software. Since the entire sheet is imported, you may need to maneuver around and display the chart in the embedded object. To increase/decrease the size of the object, you can double click on it and resize it.