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Microsoft Excel: Creating Accessible Data Visualizations
Microsoft Excel: Creating Accessible Data Visualizations
Instruction Overview
Instruction Overview
Decide which method you want to use to create your chart:
Download a template workbook of pre-made charts and overwrite with your own data
OR Save the chart template files to your computer and apply the template styles to new charts
Choose a color palette based on the type of variables you are presenting
Choose a chart type based on your population and variables
Input your data into the correct template or apply the correct template to your data table.
Copy or save your graph to insert it into another document
Edit your graph presentation as necessary
- Decide How You Want to Use Templates
Method 1: Edit Pre-Made Charts
Method 1: Edit Pre-Made Charts
One method is to download an Excel workbook that contains pre-made charts. You will then overwrite the table of data with your own data.
This approach is simpler, but you will also need a new template workbook any time you want to generate a branded, accessible chart.
The template workbooks for each color palette are linked in the Color Palette section.
Method 2: Save Chart Templates to Excel
Method 2: Save Chart Templates to Excel
The second method is to add new chart options for when you select “Insert” in Excel. Once you save the provided .crtx chart template files in the right spot on your computer, you can apply them directly within any Excel file to make accessible U-M-branded visualizations.
This approach requires some setup the first time, but then you will have branded, accessible chart stylings built in to Excel on your computer.
Download the sixteen .crtz files from this Google Drive folder: Accessible Graph Templates Files
Save the sixteen .crtx files in “C:\Users\UNIQNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Charts”.
To apply the chart templates, open an Excel workbook, select a range of data in an worksheet, and select "Insert"
Select the arrow in the Charts ribbon to expand the view of Recommended Charts
In the dialog box, select the second panel to see "All Charts", and then select the second option in the list, "Templates". This location should contain only the branded accessible templates. Selecting one will create a chart (as usual in Excel). Give your chart a title, label the axes, and check the legend.
2. Choose Your Color Palette
2. 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...
Diverging Accessible
Method 1 - Diverging Accessible Template
Examples
Strongly agree → strongly disagree
Positive impact → negative impact
If you have non-ordered (qualitative) variables (categories), select...
Non-Ordered Accessible
Method 1 - Non-Ordered Accessible Template
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
Method 1 - Blue Ordered Accessible Template
or
Maize Ordered Accessible for a light background.
Method 1 - Maize Ordered Accessible Template
Examples
Class standing
Number of credits
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
Method 1
Method 1
Download or make a new copy of the template file. 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).
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. Ensure that none of the dummy data from the template remains, including rows and columns that you are not using.
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. You can delete the tabs you are not using.
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.
Method 2
Method 2
Select your data and select "Insert," then select the arrow in the Charts ribbon to expand the view of Recommended Charts. In the dialog box, select the second panel to see "All Charts", and then select the second option in the list, "Templates". Select the template for the chart type you selected above.
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 Save Your Graph
4. Copy or Save Your Graph
To copy your graph, right-click a blank space on the graph and select Copy. In your destination document, right-click where you want to paste your graph, and select Paste Options → Picture (U). Drag and adjust the picture of the graph to the size and placement of your liking.
Do not paste using CTRL + V or CMD + V or the colors will not be preserved.
Copying and pasting graphs works most seamlessly within Microsoft Office Software.
To save your graph as a picture, right-click the blank space on graph and select Save as Picture. Save the final chart as a format that will be easy to share with your intended audiences, which often means .jpg or .png. Insert your 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 side panel).
Select and edit any of the graph components in the Chart Options or Text Options drop-down menus.
To edit the graph’s individual components directly, right-click on a specific component in the graph (a column on a column graph, a legend, etc.) to display components you can edit (font, color, thickness, etc.).
The font used on all charts is Atkinson Hyperlegible, which was designed specifically to help with legibility and to improve readability for people with low vision, particularly by focusing on letterform distinction to increase character recognition. We encourage you to use an accessible font such as Atkinson Hyperlegible, or typography recommended by the U-M branding team.
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