Pie charts are a popular visual tool for presenting parts of a whole. They help to illustrate data clearly and understandably. However, like all other chart types, they should not be used indiscriminately. Often, pie charts are used for the wrong data sets and fail to engage the audience. They are only effective and can achieve their full impact when they fit the context and support the message of a slide.

Three questions before using pie charts

The three questions you should ask yourself before creating a pie chart are:

• Is it worth using this type of chart here?
• How can I best design the diagram?
• Are there better alternatives?

Pie charts are used for many reasons: out of habit, because it seems logical to represent proportions as part of a whole, because circles appear harmonious, and last but not least, because the alternatives are hardly known.

If you want to show proportions of a whole that totals 100%, pie charts are ideal. The values ​​shown should be significantly different, and there should be no more than five categories in a single chart.

Disadvantages of pie charts

Nevertheless, pie charts have some disadvantages that cannot be ignored:

• Small values ​​are often difficult to see in pie charts and simply don't look good in combination with relatively large labels.
• When several values ​​are similar or the same size, the difference between them is barely noticeable and often goes completely unnoticed. This makes pie charts too cluttered in such cases.

Alternatives: Bar chart & Column chart

Two of the better-known alternatives that represent proportions equally well are bar charts and column charts. Bar charts are particularly suitable for showing rankings and ordering categories by size. Column charts are well-suited for distributions, such as election results, and can be displayed from bottom to top to increase visual interest. For datasets of this type, bar and column charts should clearly be preferred.

In summary, pie charts are often, but not always, the right type of chart. To achieve the best possible effect, you should carefully consider which type of chart you want to use. Don't be afraid to try new chart types! You'll find plenty of inspiration in our PowerPoint Charts category.