Charts that tell the story
Listen to this lesson
Nigerian voice narration
Fictional training case. Bello must present monthly collections data to management where a 200-row table would overwhelm the room. This lesson covers matching chart type to the comparison being made and writing titles that state findings rather than generic labels. Work through the example, identify the evidence needed and practise the method with cleared or synthetic inputs. Any additional figures in the explanation are separate practice examples, not claimed rows in a downloadable file.
Worked example
For the collections data, Bello asks AI which chart suits each comparison. AI recommends a line chart for the month-by-month trend, a bar chart comparing the three regional offices side by side, and a stacked bar for the revenue-source breakdown. For the line chart, instead of titling it 'Monthly Collections,' she asks AI for a finding-style title and gets 'Collections fell 12% after the March policy change' — a title that states the conclusion the chart supports, not just the topic. She checks the 12% herself against the raw totals (₦14.2m in February versus ₦12.5m in March, a 12% fall) before using the figure in the title.
The method
Match the comparison type to chart type (trend→line, comparison→bar, composition→stacked bar, relationship→scatter), then write a title that states the specific, numerically-verified finding the chart demonstrates, never a placeholder label.
Worked practice and common mistakes
Use a zero baseline for ordinary bar comparisons and label period and units. Lines join ordered time points, not unrelated offices. A stacked bar can show composition and a scatter can suggest a relationship without establishing causation. Change after a policy is not automatically change because of that policy. A finding-style title must not overstate the evidence.
Review before using the result
Choose chart type by the comparison being made. Titles should state the finding, with the number checked against source data, so the audience grasps the message before reading the axes.
Your workplace practice
Use the recommended free assistant with this lesson's fictional example. For each comparison in my data, recommend the right chart type and give exact Excel steps to build it. Then suggest a finding-style title for each chart. Keep a copy of the input and draft. Compare the result with the verification steps above, record any correction, and retain placeholders where evidence is missing. The expected result is a checked draft for human review, not an automatically approved decision. Course examples and practice responses are fictional; amounts, dates, rules and thresholds are not official guidance or supplier quotations.
Open ChatGPT (free tier) and paste this prompt there. Strong at suggesting the right chart and drawing simple ones.
For each comparison in my data, recommend the right chart type and give exact Excel steps to build it. Then suggest a finding-style title for each chart.
Why this tool: Strong at suggesting the right chart and drawing simple ones.
Hit a free limit? Switch to ChatGPT or Gemini and continue — the prompt works in any assistant.