Dial Gauge
by Jon Peltier
Monday, September 8th, 2008
Peltier Technical Services, Inc., Copyright © 2012.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
I know I’ve railed against dial gauges in the past, and I’ve removed instructions for creating a speedometer type chart from my site. But this particular implementation is completely appropriate.
From The New Yorker Magazine.
Related Posts:
- Not Gauges Again!
- A Gauge that Works?
- Chart with a Dual Category Axis
- In-Cell Bullet Charts
- Happy 200th Birthday to a Couple of Giants
- Interesting Links for 17 April 2009
Posted: Monday, September 8th, 2008 under Amusement.
Comments: 5
Comments
Pingback from Download Excel Speedometer / Gauge chart template | Pointy Haired Dilbert – Chandoo.org
Time: Tuesday, September 9, 2008, 7:59 am
[...] Gauges are a familiar metaphor, everyone can understand them, you can see them everywhere – near your stove, ac, car, gaming console, pc – you name it. So, when you are preparing a chart to tell a point, gauge chart like the one above can be effective. (I know charting pros like Jon Peltier wouldn’t agree with this and prefer speedometer charts only in cartoons.) [...]
Comment from Stupid
Time: Thursday, January 13, 2011, 1:00 pm
Dial Gauges are useful, you should not be so arrogant as to think your opinion should be forced down on others… just put up how to make speedo charts!
Comment from Jon Peltier
Time: Thursday, January 13, 2011, 1:48 pm
Hey Stupid -
That’s something I haven’t said since grade school. Here’s another: Dial gauges on a dashboard are as useful as a screen door on a submarine.
I’m under no obligation to show you how to make such an abominable graphic. There are plenty of places you can find them on the web, including tutorials showing how to make your own, and shysters who will gladly sell you what you think you want, but not what you need or what will do you any good.
Comment from Adam Blackwood
Time: Thursday, January 27, 2011, 11:56 pm
If the graphic has made a manager pay more attention to the data you are presenting…. its worked.
… whether its green, blue, pie charts, bar graphs, traffic lights.. or.. even a dial gauge.
Comment from Jon Peltier
Time: Friday, January 28, 2011, 2:37 pm
It’s too bad you need to use an ineffective approach merely to get your manager’s attention. Reminds me of a 2-year-old post, Bad Bar Chart Practices, or Send in the Clowns.
Write a comment
I welcome comments from my readers. If you have an opinion on this post, if you have a question or if there is anything to add, I want to hear from you. Whether you agree or disagree, please join the discussion.
If you want to include an image in your comment, post it on your own site or on one of the many free image sharing sites, and include a link in your comment. I'll download your image and insert the necessary html to display the image inline.
Read the PTS Blog Comment Policy.