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Bubble Charts (An Alternative to Bars)

Last updated

Mar 18th, 2026

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Ann K. Emery, data visualization and data storytelling

Instead of boring bar charts…

…why not try bubble charts?

Bar charts depict data with length.

Bubble charts depict data with area.

If you want to try bubble charts, you can make them in good ol’ Excel with this tutorial.

More about Ann K. Emery
Ann K. Emery is a sought-after speaker who is determined to get your data out of spreadsheets and into stakeholders’ hands. Each year, she leads more than 100 workshops, webinars, and keynotes for thousands of people around the globe. Her design consultancy also overhauls graphs, publications, and slideshows with the goal of making technical information easier to understand for non-technical audiences.

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