Creating a Chart in Python: Benefits, Types, and Charts to Use

December 8, 2023

Creating a Chart in Python Benefits, Types, and Charts to Use

Research done by Dan

Tired of wading through mountains of data? Charting is your key to clarity.

Charting visually represents data or information using graphs, charts, or diagrams. It helps to present complex information clearly and concisely, making it easier for people to understand and analyze the data. Charting is widely used in various fields, including business, finance, statistics, research, and data analysis.

Chart visualization tools and software have also evolved, making it easier for individuals and organizations to create dynamic and interactive charts. These tools allow for customization, real-time updates, and the integration of multiple data sources. It seems that data science is a valuable tool in today’s data-driven world, enabling efficient data analysis, effective communication, and informed decision-making across various domains.

This article discusses all you need to know about the benefits, various types of charts, and how to chart in Python.

Let’s begin!

Why is Data Visualization Important?

Data visualization transcends industry and career boundaries, serving as a universally effective tool for delivering insights in the most efficient way possible.

As a crucial step in any business process, data visualization transforms raw data into actionable insights. It models and presents information in a clear and concise manner, enabling informed decision-making.

In the realm of advanced analytics, data scientists leverage machine learning algorithms to refine data compilation further. They create visualizations that are not only easy to understand but also offer deeper levels of interpretation, empowering businesses to unlock hidden opportunities and optimize their endeavors.

The primary function and objective of data visualization is to communicate information effectively using visual data, which offers universal understanding and rapid comprehension. By data visualization, companies can identify areas needing improvement, determine the factors influencing customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and make informed decisions regarding specific products, including their target market and optimal distribution.

Lastly, visualized data empowers stakeholder groups, business owners, and decision-makers to gain better insights, predict sales volumes, and anticipate future growth.

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The Benefits of Visualizing Data Points

In today’s data-driven world, you have to take advantage of data visualization to transform complex information into captivating visuals that unlock hidden value and insights with ease.

To convince you further, here are some examples of the benefits of having organized plots of data:

As a business

In addition to product development services, the ability to provide customized bar chart visualization solutions sets us apart from other companies in the same industry. This unique offering allows you to cater to specific needs and requirements, providing tailored visualizations that effectively communicate data insights.

  • Reduced Costs and Risks: By identifying areas for improvement and avoiding costly mistakes, data visualization can help clients significantly reduce costs and mitigate risks.
  • Competitive Advantage: Data visualization empowers clients to gain valuable insights, develop innovative strategies, and stay ahead of the competition in their respective industries.
  • Accessibility and Convenience: By outsourcing data visualization tasks, businesses can access expert services without investing in additional resources or software.

Within the organization

visual representations quote

Data within your organization can be used for various causes that maximize business impact. This includes:

  • Improve Transparency and Accountability: Sharing data visualizations with employees and stakeholders can foster transparency and build trust. Seeing the data clearly allows everyone to understand the organization’s performance and hold leaders accountable for their decisions.
  • Encourage Collaboration and Alignment: Visual representations of data points can help bridge communication gaps between different departments and stakeholders. Sharing insights through charts, graphs, and dashboards ensures everyone is on the same page and working towards common goals.
  • Drive Innovation and Creativity: Exploratory data analysis through the creation of bar charts and box plots, among others, can spark new ideas and inspire creative solutions to challenges. By exploring data visually, organizations can encourage innovation and develop unique strategies to thrive in a competitive environment.

Using data visualization in your organization will definitely give you a better understanding of the situation and enable you to find the best solution. Example dashboard you can use:

  • Social media dashboard – This allows you to track the engagement rate, impressions, followers, etc., of our company. Here is a sample you can check.
  • Project management dashboard – Keep track of all of the team’s tasks and see how efficient they are in completing a project. Take this as a sample project management dashboard.
  • Talent management dashboard – Plot and organize variables of your company’s talent to address issues and resolve them with new strategies. Check out this sample for your reference.

5 Common Types of Data Plots

Different types of data plots are used to represent different kinds of data and relationships. Here are some of the most common types of data plots:

  • Bar Charts: The use of bars of varying heights to represent the values of each category. They are good for comparing several groups of data, such as the number of customers divided into age groups or the sales figures.
  • Line Plots: A line plot or chart visualizes trends and changes in data over time. It uses a line to connect points representing the value of the data at different points in time.
  • Scatter Plots: A scatter plot is used to show the relationship between two variables. You look at dots that represent the values of two variables for each data point.
  • Box Plots: A box plot will display the distribution of a continuous variable. The box represents the middle 50% of the data, a line represents the median, and whiskers represent the remaining data points.
  • Pie Charts: A pie chart shows how a whole is divided into parts. The slices of a pie represent a proportion of each category in the data.

5 Charts Using Python

Python provides a range of powerful libraries for data visualization, making it an excellent choice for creating dynamic and customizable plots. Some notable Python graphing libraries include Matplotlib, Ggplot, Seaborn, Plotly, and Pandas Visualization.

Python is highly favored for advanced data analysis, making it the preferred programming language for developing data visualization software. Its extensive library ecosystem enables developers to leverage various visualization tools and techniques to analyze and present data effectively.

Matplotlib

Matplotlib is a mature and versatile library that serves as the foundation for many other graphing libraries. It offers a comprehensive set of tools for creating various types of charts, graphs, and plots, from simple line graphs to complex heat maps and histograms. Matplotlib is highly customizable, allowing for fine-grained control over the appearance and functionality of your visualizations.

Plotly

Plotly goes beyond just being an open-source data visualization library. It’s part of a comprehensive ecosystem from Plotly, Inc., encompassing Dash (a Python dashboarding library) and data visualization application services for enterprises. This makes Plotly an ideal choice for crafting interactive visualizations and dashboards tailored to business needs.

Plotly provides both a high-level interface for swift development and a low-level one for fine-grained control. Its unique feature of rendering plots from simple dictionaries, coupled with a vast array of predefined graph types, empowers you to create impactful visuals effortlessly.

ggplot2

Ggplot

Ggplot is a popular library inspired by R’s ggplot2 package. It offers a grammar-of-graphics approach to data visualization, making it intuitive and easy to use. Ggplot emphasizes code clarity and consistency, leading to cleaner and more maintainable code. It is particularly well-suited for creating layered and complex visualizations.

Seaborn

Seaborn is a built-on-top Matplotlib library specializing in statistical data visualization. It offers a wide range of statistical data types and themes, allowing you to create visually appealing and informative visualizations of your data. Seaborn also provides high-level functions for making statistical comparisons and performing data exploration.

Pandas

Pandas, a popular data analysis library, also comes with built-in visualization capabilities. While not as comprehensive as other dedicated libraries, it offers a convenient way to quickly create simple visualizations directly from your Pandas DataFrames. This can be especially useful for exploratory data analysis and generating basic insights.

Other honorable charting tools

You can also create a bar chart and other visualizer with these tools:

Javascript Libraries

Here are some chart libraries for javascript:
D3js, Chartjs, highchartjs, and etc

BI Tools

Some BI tools are:

PowerBI, Qlik, Tableau, etc

Google looker studio

Conclusion

Utilizing Plotly simplified the pie chart-ing process by requiring only a few lines of code while offering ample customization options.


In summary, charting is vital because it simplifies complex data, facilitates analysis and decision-making, improves communication, and helps explore and understand information more effectively.

Overall, it continues to be a valuable tool in today’s data-driven world, enabling efficient data analysis, effective communication, and informed decision-making across various domains.

woman learning how to use Python

Hire Python Experts from StarTechUP

Drowning in data? Feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of using Python to create a scatter plot? Without the ability to create line plots or a grouped bar chart for your essential data, you are falling behind your competitors.

But having the right tools and expertise by your side, you have the chance to be at the top. StarTechUP is here to help you out!

Here’s why you should choose StarTechUP:

  • Experienced and certified professionals: Our team consists of highly skilled and experienced Python developers who are passionate about their work.
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  • Dedicated to your success: We are committed to your satisfaction and will work closely with you to ensure the success of your project.

Don’t let valuable data go to waste. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with our experts and learn how we can help you achieve your goals!

About the author: Andrea Jacinto - Content Writer

A content writer with a strong SEO background, Andrea has been working with digital marketers from different fields to create optimized articles which are informative, digestible, and fun to read. Now, she's writing for StarTechUP to deliver the latest developments in tech to readers around the world. View on Linkedin

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