A Mekko chart is a type of bar chart, often used in marketing to show market share. It is also sometimes called a Marimekko chart or a mosaic plot. Keep reading to learn more about Mekko charts, why you should use them, how you can create one of your own, and the answer to the question “just what is a Mekko chart?”
What is a mekko chart?
A mekko chart, also known as a stacked bar chart, is a graphical representation of data in which each bar represents a different category, and the length of the bar represents the magnitude of the data within that category. The bars can be either horizontal or vertical, and the categories can be either discrete or continuous.
A mekko chart is similar to a standard bar chart, but instead of showing the amount of data for each category as a separate bar, it shows the cumulative total for each category. This makes it easy to see how the data for each category contributes to the total.
Mekko charts are often used to represent financial data, such as revenue or profit, but they can be used to represent any type of data.
How do you create a mekko chart?
Creating a mekko chart is a great way to visualize your data in a way that is easy to understand. In order to create a mekko chart, you need to first create your data in a data table. The data in the table should have at least three columns: the category name, the quantity, and the percentage.
Once you have your data table, you can create your mekko chart by following these steps:
1. In Excel, select the Insert tab and click on the Charts group.
2. Select the Column chart type and then click on the Clustered Column chart.
3. Click on the Chart Options button and then select the Series tab.
4. In the Series Options section, select the Secondary Axis check box.
5. Click on the OK button.
6. Drag the Quantity and Percentage columns to the Y-Axis and Category column to the X-Axis.
7. Your mekko chart will now be created!
How do you interpret a mekko chart?
When you are looking at a mekko chart, it is important to consider the following:
The type of mekko chart can tell you a lot about what the data represents. For example, a mekko chart that has a y-axis of profit and an x-axis of time could be used to track the profits of a company over time.
The y-axis of a mekko chart can tell you a lot about the data. For example, if the y-axis is profit, you can assume that the data is measuring profits. If the y-axis is population, you can assume that the data is measuring population.
The x-axis of a mekko chart is a key factor. For example, if the x-axis is time, you can assume that the data is measuring time. If the x-axis is location, you can assume that the data is measuring location.
The colors of a mekko chart are important as well. For example, if the colors are different shades of blue, you can assume that the data is measuring something that is related to water. If the colors are different shades of green, you can assume that the data is measuring something that is related to plants.
The patterns of a mekko chart are also essential. For example, if the patterns are lines, you can assume that the data is measuring something that is smooth. If the patterns are dots, you can assume that the data is measuring something that is not smooth.
Overall, the mekko chart is an important tool for displaying data that has multiple levels of hierarchy.