
Large Data Analysis? See Difference B/W Treemap Chart & Pie Chart
In daily life, we have to deal with data. Information is important for a lot of reasons. Data helps us sort out big problems so we can make informed decisions on our business initiatives and investments. Graphs or charts help business analysts and statisticians preview the big picture of data. There are many data-sorting puzzles that can be solved with a Treemap chart or Pie chart in this context.
Here we’ll explain the difference between a Treemap chart and a Pie Chart. We’ll also see how effective they are in business and research.
What is a Treemap Chart?
Like other charts, a Tree Mapping is used for data presentation to read large datasets with categorical techniques that help to display the large chunks of hierarchical data. As its name suggests, the chart is plotted with the help of tree figures by using nested and branched rectangles. The treemap chart is created based on the practice of data visualization on chart paper or on MS Excel sheets.
How to Construct a Treemap Chart
The treemap chart takes an artist’s approach to constructing an appropriate treemap. It is commonly used for hierarchical data depiction in a tree-like structure. The values of data are shown as per the size or strength of the trees. Whereas Data or datasets are organized in lieu of branches and sub-branches and twigs. So, data is displayed by using rectangles and tree-like figures. However, the dimensions and data plot colors of the trees are assessed in accordance with the quantitative numerical variables or datasets associated with each rectangle/tree.
It is important to note that each rectangle gives information about two numerical values which means it more likely represents the two data values. You can glance down within the data analysis theoretically to study an unlimited number of datasets or categories. This renders an insightful overview of the distinguished data values between categories and data values with convenience to analyze.
Key Steps to Construct a Treemap
A treemap graph can be constructed on a simple chart paper or for modern techniques, you can use MS Excel or Google Spreadsheet. For any of the cases, follow the following steps to build a treemap graph.
- Identify the dataset to be displayed on the tree graph
- Draw a tree figure on a chart or hit the insert tab on the Excel
- Sort the tree w.r.t ascending or descending order. For Excel tap the Insert Hierarchy button following Treemap. Excel will build and insert a Treemap chart into the spreadsheet.
Scenarios to Use Treemap Chart
A treemap chart goes with various scenarios to get used. You can use high data volume for treemap depiction. The said chart is good to go when you confront a very large range of hierarchical data and space constraints. The Treemap charts are also ideal to be able to construct more than tens of thousands of dataset nodes. Although there are other graphs that can be considered for plotting hierarchical data, however, a treemap chart is ideal in case of a huge bulk of data. Some of the charts that may abruptly knock on the mind door are the pie chart and the drag-node chart. However, these charts render a space restriction conflict as the number of data points increases beyond a specific limit. Additionally, the multi-level or simplified pie chart is circular while the treemap displays a linear rhythm; since a linear chart is easier to peruse and understand than a circular one, we can say a treemap chart is all the way right to use for a huge data range.
To explore the noticeable difference between a treemap and a pie chart, now we move ahead toward pie charts.
What is a Pie Chart or Pie Graph?
In the world of data manipulations, industries and businesses use pie charts to get a lot of pictorial data presentation. The primary focus of data visualizations in the pie chart is to clearly and concisely convey information in cubic or circular format.
Sketching a Pie Chart
A list of integral variables along with data variables is required to sketch data in the shape of a pie chart. The arc area covers the length of each slice and consequently, the space and central angle it reserves in a pie chart is the proportionality or numeric quantity it represents.
When to Use the Pie Chart?
A pie chart is used in simple mathematical problems and also in complex business solutions in terms of sales and communication. However, the pie chart is best used when trying to understand the composition with the proportionality of a couple of factors. If you have numerical or statistical data then sketching a pie chart would help you really well as each slice in the pie chart can represent a different data category or proportion. A good example of a pie chart is cited by our analyst cum writer below. It will impulse a quick perception into your mind to understand the pie chart in a better prospect.
Example of Pie Chart
To take up the simile of pizza we quote an instance of a business start-up by five friends. In this case, five close friends hit upon an idea to launch their own business bidding adieu to their jobs. So each of them comes from a different income value, savings, and family background. First, define the names of the five friends; John, Harry, Angie, Ela, and Chris.
Among them, Harry has a good job and so does his saving likewise family background. Harry promises to contribute 40% of the initial investment, following Ela bringing 25%, John with 15% Angie, and Chris with 10% individually.
Their investment contribution will be in the pie chart as slice parts. Harry will be having the biggest slice. And following him, Ela’s Slice will be bigger. Meanwhile, Chris, John, and Angie will add their respective share to the pie chart.
This is how the above data ratio can be drawn in slicing proportion. You can use shadowing effects to separate the slice to see what happens if a specific slice gets removed from the pie graph picture.
Differences Between Treemap Chart VS Pie Chart
Treemap Chart | Pie Chart |
The treemaps are rectangular in shape like a tree figure. Each dataset in the chart is also represented by a colorful rectangle. | Pie charts are simplified depictions of datasets consisting of a circle divided into pieces or wedges. Each wedge displays a value or share of the data. |
Treemap charts have no other ideal substitute for displaying graphs when data is in bulk and with multiple values | Pie charts are ideal to use when it is needed for visualizing just a few datasets or measuring values. |
Depiction of the treemap explicitly helps the reader to quickly grasp the data values. The largest rectangles are put in the top left and arranged in descending order (from large to small). | Although data reading is easy, the reader has to note the data labels first before interpreting the data. |
There is a great advantage of a space constraint repercussion solution to adjust all data values under one rectangular box. | Smaller data values or proportions shrink and fade in large wedges so it is harder to notice the smallest data proportion. |
Conclusion:
In conclusion, if you’ve ever faced constraints with the viabilities of a pie chart, you will be compensated away by what you can have with a treemap. Hence, Treemap charts are just one of the top incredible solutions for hefty bulky data visualizations.