It’s no secret that pie charts are often considered the problem child of the data visualization world—but I wanted to raise this here and hear your thoughts.
I recently attended a talk called “Dumb Ways to Pie”, which explored why pie charts might not be the best way to add value to dashboards. So, why is that?
- Humans struggle with judging slice sizes—especially when the chart is slice-heavy.
- Switching to donut charts can help slightly because we judge arc length better than area.
- Often, bar or column charts communicate the same information more clearly and accurately.
I wanted to share a video from the talk about how to improve your pies:
Despite their flaws, pie charts still pop up everywhere. Are they ever the right choice? Or should we retire them completely?
I’d love to see your examples:
âś… Great uses of pie charts
❌ Terrible ones you’ve encountered
đź’ˇ Alternatives you swear by
Drop your thoughts below! 👇
