_edited_edited.png)
A ribbon chart, also known as a stream graph or a stacked area chart, is a type of visualization used in Power BI to display how different categories contribute to a total over time.
Ribbon charts offer a unique way to visualize data in Power BI. It's particularly useful for visualizing trends and patterns in data over a continuous period with distinct rankings.
A ribbon depicts how the value of a data category changes over a visualized time period. The large ribbon indicates category value is larger at that time than other periods.
The following image shows the fields in the Visualizations pane for the ribbon chart.
There are various options to format ribbon charts, we can change the value of the x-axis, y-axis, its title, etc. We can also add various options like a zoom slider, ribbon colors, and data labels in a ribbon chart.Â
Following image shows the plotted visualization from given data.
-It shows an example of age & gender wise distribution of patients.
Reading insights from ribbon chart:
Reading insights from a ribbon chart involves interpreting the trends and patterns displayed by the visualization. Here are some key points to focus on.Â
Identify the Time Period:Â The horizontal axis of the ribbon chart represents time period (e.g., days, months, years). Here its age.
Vertical axis typically shows the value scale for the data.
Width:Â The width of the ribbon at each point indicates the value for that category at that time. Wider sections signify higher values.
Analyze Rankings: Â For highest rank look for the widest ribbon and for lowest rank look for narrowest ribbon.
Identify Patterns: Look for sudden changes like significant increase or decrease in ribbon width,constant narrowing or widening of ribbons etc.
Use Tooltips (if available):
Hover over specific points on a ribbon to see the exact value for that category at that time.
This can provide more detailed information and help confirm your observations
Compare Categories: Compare the heights of the stacked segments to understand how different categories contribute to the overall trend. Focus on areas where the segments intersect, as these points can highlight periods of competition between categories.
Best Practices:
Ensure that categories in the ribbon chart show meaningful groups that users can easily interpret.
Avoid using too many categories as it can be difficult to understand the individual trend.
To make the chart easier to understand use appropriate color schemes and labels.
Conclusions:
By following these principles and best practices, you can leverage ribbon charts in Power BI to unlock valuable insights and drive data-driven decision-making. Whether you're analyzing sales data, tracking website traffic, or monitoring key performance indicators, ribbon charts offer a versatile tool for visualizing and understanding your data.
We hope this guide has provided you with a solid foundation for working with ribbon charts in Power BI.Â
Happy visualizing!
References: