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Google Sheets: Creating Accessible Data Visualizations
Google Sheets: Creating Accessible Data Visualizations
Instruction Overview
Instruction Overview
Choose a color palette based on the type of variables you are presenting
Make a copy of the Google Sheet template for that color palette (File → Make a copy)
Do not copy individual graphs or tabs into a new blank sheet, as they won't have the same characteristics as the template
Choose a chart type based on your population and variables
Input your data into the data table on the tab for that chart type
Copy or download your graph to insert it into another document
Edit your graph presentation as necessary
- Choose Your Color Palette
If you have variables that diverge (above/below) from a meaningful point or acceptable threshold (i.e. neutral, zero, passing, etc.), select...
Examples
Strongly agree → strongly disagree
Positive impact → negative impact
If you have non-ordered (qualitative) variables (categories), select...
Examples
Major
Race
Gender
*Note: Only use the 5-6 color option if absolutely necessary
If you have ordered variables, quantitative or qualitative, select...
Blue Ordered Accessible for a light background or
Maize Ordered Accessible for a light background.
Examples
Class standing
Number of credits
2. Make a Copy of the Google Sheet Template
2. Make a Copy of the Google Sheet Template
Select File → Make a copy to make a copy of the selected Google Sheet template above.
Rename the document to something more descriptive of your data, such as y-aixs vs. x-axis (ex, Fall 2021 Pre-Law Workshop Student Age vs. Satisfaction Level).
Do not copy a single graph or tab from the template document into a new blank sheet, as it won’t have the same color scheme or chart properties as the template.
3. Choose Your Chart Type
3. Choose Your Chart Type
For each color palette, there are four chart types. To choose a chart type, think about what you want to communicate with your data. Consider the number of populations, the number of variables, and what relationships you are trying to display.
Population: A set of individuals who share a characteristic or set of characteristics. Examples: First-year students, UM Staff, In-state students
Variable: A value or characteristics associated with a given population. Examples: Age, Location, Credit hours, Level of agreement
If you have 1 population with 3-6 variables, select Column Graph.
You can also compare 2 populations based on the shapes of their distributions.
Example: Number of students who felt they left the training with clear next steps, by class standing
If you have 2+ populations with 3-6 variables, and want to compare the populations to each other in terms of the proportions of each variable, select 100% Stacked.
Example: Percentage of Interns and Staff, when asked if the workshop was helpful
If you have 1 population with 2-3* variables, and want to display the proportions of each variable in relation to one another, select Pie Chart.
*When a pie chart has more than 3 variables, people have a hard time judging the sizes of the "slices". Consider using a column chart instead.
Example: Percentage of students who prefer in-person, hybrid, or remote meetings
If you are displaying change over time within 1 or more populations , select Line Graph.
Example: Number of students attending a program, split by GPA, over multiple years
4. Input Your Data
4. Input Your Data
Input your data into the data table on the tab for the selected chart type above. Select the cells in the table to edit the data points and the row and column titles.
Rename your x-axis and y-axis with descriptive labels (ex: Number of Undergraduate Students; Degree of Agreement; Class Standing based on CTP). Double click the axis titles to edit the text.
4. Copy or Download Your Graph
4. Copy or Download Your Graph
To copy your graph, select the three dots in the upper right corner of the graph to open a menu. Select Copy chart to copy onto your clipboard. In your destination document, right click and select Paste.
Note: If pasting the chart into a G-Suite product (Google Slides, Google Docs), you have the option to link your spreadsheet to the chart. Then, if you change the data in the Google Sheet you created, the copied chart will automatically update itself.
To download your graph, select the three dots on the upper right corner of the graph to open a menu. Select Download → Select file type .png, .pdf, .svg. Insert the saved graph into your destination document.
5. Edit Your Graph Presentation
5. Edit Your Graph Presentation
Edits to the graph presentation should in most cases be limited to dragging labels, increasing font sizes, and updating titles or axis labels. The other facets of design implement accessibility or data visualization best practices.
Double click the graph to open the chart editor (in the right-hand menu).
Under Setup, edit the data range of the chart, labels, switching rows and columns.
Under Customize, edit specifics such as data points, spacing, and more.
To edit the graph’s individual components directly, click on the data point, line, title, etc. that you want to edit, or you select a series, legend, or group in the chart editor on the right.
Use an accessible font such as Verdana, or typography recommended by the UM branding team.
Additional Resource: Google Chart Editing Tips
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