Data Visualisation: Radar (Spider) Charts

C Small Solutions helps clients visualise data. This article briefly discusses radar charts. These can be used to quickly view groups of variables. For a free consultation, email: info@csmall.co.uk

Radar (spider) charts are useful for quickly comparing different groups of variables on the same axes. Each variable is placed on its own axis, which begins in the centre of the chart. Several axes branch out from the centre, like a radar or spider web. Grid lines are often provided. Each data point is connected to the adjacent ones in the same group, forming a shape.

As shown in the example below, this allows for comparison of different groups. The example uses colour to distinguish between different groups of variables

Radar chart used for employee evaluation

The charts can display rankings in very different categories, but it’s useful to keep the same cardinal or ordinal scale across categories for ease of evaluation. For example, they could all be percentages, or could all be ordinal rankings of first, second, third etc.

Advantages of radar charts

• They show which variables score high or low in a group. This makes it easy to quickly spot outliers or all-round high performers.
• They allow for easy comparison of a large number of variables by letting you plot them in an uncluttered format, saving space and time.
• Humans are naturally good at quickly comparing shapes. The simplistic nature of the shapes displayed by this chart allow for quick comparisons.

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Disadvantages of radar charts

• Including multiple shapes in the same chart may make it harder to read. This can be solved by creating multiple charts, or including a filter as shown below.
• Including too many axes may become overwhelming for the viewer.
• All variables are not equal in reality, but they are displayed as such. An 8/10 in one variable may be significantly more important to your business than the same score for another.

Business use cases of radar charts

Practically, radar charts are useful for comparing people’s performance across different categories in appraisals. When evaluating a team or a group of people’s performance, this allows for quick identification of top performing people in the team. Employee charts can be useful to plan training for groups of people who are ranked low for a particular skill.

They are also useful for product comparisons. The structure of radar charts allow for comparisons across several features and specifications. In purchasing employees’ phones for example, radar charts could be used to compare battery life, camera, computational power, display and memory.

On a more strategic level, radar charts can also be used for competitor analysis.

How can C Small Solutions help?

Radar charts can facilitate the effective communication of data. To discuss how C Small Solutions can help your business analyse and visualise your data, get in touch for a free consultation by contacting us using the form below:

Alternatively, drop us an email at:
info@csmall.co.uk