5. Working with Sway Charts
In this chapter, you explore how to create charts in Sway using its built-in interactive chart tool. Specific topics in this chapter include the following:
Understanding chart types and terminology
Charts enliven your Sway with visual impact and convey routine data in a way that your audience can easily understand and analyze. Sway offers a variety of chart types, including the popular column, pie, and bar charts as well as more creative options such as line and area charts.
Understanding Charts
Charts enable you to display, analyze, and compare numerical data in a graphical format. If you’ve created charts in other Office applications such as PowerPoint or Excel, then the Sway chart options should be familiar to you.
Understand Chart Types
Sway offers multiple chart types, some with variations to choose from. You can create the following types of charts using Sway:
• Column—Compare data in two or more vertical columns. This chart type works well if you want to compare categories or data across a specific time span. Sway offers two column chart types: regular or stacked. Regular charts display related data side by side. Stacked charts display data in a single stack separated by color.
Unless you have more than one series of data, a regular chart and a stacked chart look the same. For example, if your chart lists total sales in three cities, that’s one series of data (one column for each city). If your chart lists total sales in three cities for each of four quarters, you have four series of data (four columns for each city).
• Bar—Compare data in two or more horizontal bars. Like columns, you can create a regular bar chart or a stacked bar chart.
• Line—Display data across a line with markers for each value.
• Pie—Display a round pie-shaped chart showing the portions that make up a whole. Pie options include a regular pie or a donut pie. A donut pie is the same as a regular pie except that it includes a hole in the middle for a different aesthetic option.
• Area—Display value trends in a single area. This chart also offers regular or stacked options.
Understand Chart Terminology
Before creating a chart, it’s a good idea to learn—or refresh your memory about—basic chart terminology. Here’s a list of the basic concepts you need to understand to make the most of Sway charts.
• Axis—A line defining the chart area. Sway charts have two axes: a vertical axis that displays data (the Y Axis) and a horizontal axis that displays categories (the X Axis).
• Worksheet—A table with columns and rows where you can enter your chart data. A chart worksheet in Sway looks similar to an Excel worksheet, but it is smaller.
• Values—Numbers that display on a chart as columns, bars, or pie slices, for example.
• Grid—Lines that display across a chart that make it easier to view values and data relationships. Pie charts don’t have grids.
Adding a Chart to a Sway
You add a chart to a Sway using the Chart Card. In this section, you explore how to create a column chart and a pie chart.
Embed a Chart
Another way to add a chart to Sway is to embed an existing Excel chart, as described in Chapter 4, “Embedding Content in a Sway.”
Add a Column Chart
You can add a regular (side-by-side) column chart or a stacked column chart using the Chart Card. In this example, you add a stacked column chart that compares units sold in three cities over three months.
1. Open the Sway in which you want to add a chart.
2. Click the Cards tab.
3. Drag the Chart Card to the storyline.
5. Sway displays the interactive chart tool on the canvas; click the tool.
6. Sway displays a sample column chart.
7. Click the Chart Type button.
Create a Regular Chart
If you want to create a regular column chart (the default option), you can skip steps 7 through 10 when designing your own chart.
8. The Regular Column type is selected by default.
9. If you want to create a stacked chart, click the Stacked Column button. In this example, you’re creating a stacked column chart.
My Chart Isn’t Stacked
Remember that you need more than one series of data for a stacked chart. See “Understand Chart Types” earlier in this chapter for more information.
10. Click the Back button.
12. Enter your data in the chart worksheet.
What to Enter Where
Be sure to enter your descriptive text (city names and months in this example) in the row and column headers (shaded areas) and numbers in the other worksheet cells. Your chart won’t display properly if you enter text in the number cells.
13. Click the Toggle Column Header button if you want to hide the column headers.
14. Click the Toggle Row Header button if you want to hide the row headers.
Where Are the Buttons?
If you choose the Scrolls Horizontally navigation layout, the Toggle Column Header button and Toggle Row Header button don’t appear. As a reminder, click the Navigation tab on the menu to select a layout.
Hide Column and Row Headers
If your chart doesn’t need column or row headers, you can hide them from the worksheet. In this example, you need both because you have three rows (the cities) and three columns (the three months you are comparing).
15. Click the Back button.
16. Click the Settings button.
18. If you want your chart to display values, click Show Values. This functions as a toggle and is set to Off by default.
Show Values
If it’s important for people to know the exact value of each column, showing values is a good idea. For example, you might want to display revenue numbers or units sold.
19. By default, a grid displays behind your chart. These lines make it easier for people to read your chart. If you don’t want to display this, click Show Grid.
20. Type an optional name for the X Axis.
21. Type an optional name for the Y Axis.
X Axis Versus Y Axis
See “Understand Chart Terminology” earlier in this chapter for a reminder of how the X Axis and Y Axis work. In this case, you can enter “Cities” for the X Axis (categories) and “Units Sold” for the Y Axis (the data). Displaying the axes’ names is optional.
22. Click the Back button.
23. Preview your chart.
Add a Pie Chart
In this example, you create a pie chart that shows the number of students enrolled in each of five enrichment programs.
1. Open the Sway on which you want to add a chart.
2. Click the Cards tab.
3. Drag the Chart Card to the storyline.
4. Click the Click Here link.
5. Sway displays the interactive chart tool on the canvas; click the tool.
6. Click the Chart Type button.
7. Click the Pie Chart button.
8. If you want to create a donut chart, optionally click the Donut Pie button.
Donut Pie
A donut chart is a pie chart with a hole in it. It functions the same as a traditional pie chart.
9. Click the Back button.
10. Click the Data button.
11. Click the Toggle Row Header button to deselect it. You don’t need this for a pie chart.
12. Enter your data in the chart worksheet.
13. Click the Back button.
14. Click the Settings button.
15. Enter a chart title.
16. If you want your chart to display values, click Show Values. This functions as a toggle and is set to Off by default.
17. Click the Back button.
What About the Other Options?
You can ignore the Show Grid, X Axis, and Y Axis options. These don’t apply to pie charts.
18. Preview your chart.
Modifying a Chart
You can modify the charts you create with the Chart Card, just as you can modify content created with other card types.
Modify Basic Chart Elements
After you create a chart, you can modify it. For example, you can switch to another chart type, edit worksheet data, or change settings.
1. Open the Sway with the chart you want to modify.
2. Click the Click Here link on the Chart Card.
3. Click the Chart Type button to switch to another chart type.
Chart Switching Limitations
Although Sway makes it easy to switch to another chart type, not all charts convert well to other formats. For example, you can switch among column, bar, and line charts with little problem. A stacked column chart, however, won’t translate well as a pie chart. Before making a change, consider carefully whether the new chart type will display your data effectively.
4. Click Data to revise the worksheet data. See the next section, “Modify a Worksheet,” for more details.
5. Click Settings to revise chart settings such as its title.
Modify a Worksheet
In addition to editing worksheet data, you can also add and delete rows and columns.
1. Open the Sway with the chart you want to modify.
2. Click the Click Here link on the Chart Card.
3. Click the Data button.
4. Select a column.
5. Click the Insert Left button to insert a new column to the left of the selected column.
6. Click the Insert Right button to insert a new column to the right of the selected column.
7. Click the Delete Columns button to delete the selected column.
8. Select a row.
9. Click the Insert Above button to insert a new row above the selected row.
10. Click the Insert Below button to insert a new row below the selected row.
11. Click the Delete Rows button to delete the selected row.
Specify Chart Showcase Options
By default, Sway displays charts at a standard size. If you want to showcase a specific chart, however, you can increase this size.
1. Select the chart you want to showcase.
2. Click Options.
3. Select the showcase size you prefer: Subtle (the default), Moderate, or Intense.
4. Click the Close (x) button.
Previewing a Chart
Although you can preview a chart as you create it, it’s a good idea to preview the final chart before sharing. Depending on the chart type you select and the data you enter, Sway might enable viewers to interact with the chart and select only specific data to see.
Preview a Chart
Preview your chart to see it the way your audience will.
1. Open the Sway with the chart you want to preview.
2. Click Preview.
3. Preview the way other people will see your Sway.
4. Pause over a column to view more information.
5. Click to view only specific data. In this example, you view only data for January.
