Microsoft Quick Tip: Visualize Your Data in an Excel Bubble Chart

Microsoft opened the door additional functionality through apps in Office 2013.  If you want to create visual impact for your data in charts and graphics, there are numerous apps or add-ins to meet your need.

For more on add-ins, check out our post: Three Excel Chart Add-Ins to Create Unique Charts and Graphics.

Excel Bubble Chart – Visualize your data in a bubble chart. A bubble chart resembles a scatter chart, but compares sets of three values instead of two – the third value determines the bubble’s size. In other words, the bubble size corresponds to the number of times a specific value appears in the selected data. It serves as a great visual tool to communicate relative population data or to show relationships between data points.

The app allows you to customize bubble colors and arrangement for additional customization.

In this example, the bubbles provide a quick, visual way to compare the numbers of people who give to our charity at different donor levels.

So, try it out! How would you use a bubble chart in Excel?