How can you create dynamic data visualizations with pivot tables?

1 What are pivot tables?

Pivot tables are a feature of spreadsheet software, such as Excel or Google Sheets, that allow you to rearrange and aggregate your data based on certain criteria. You can use pivot tables to create cross-tabulations, frequency distributions, or other summary statistics from your data. You can also use pivot tables to create charts that show the relationship between different variables or categories in your data.

2 How to create a pivot table?

Creating a pivot table from a data set requires the data to have a clear structure and labels. For example, you may have sales data organized by region, month, and category. To create the pivot table, select the range of cells that contain your data or the entire sheet if your data occupies it. Then, go to the Insert tab and click on PivotTable. Choose where you want to place your pivot table - either a new or existing worksheet - and click OK. A new worksheet will open with an empty pivot table and a field list on the right side which displays the columns or headers of your data set. Next, drag and drop the fields that you want to use as rows, columns, values, or filters into your pivot table. Additionally, you can change the aggregation function of the values such as sum, average, count, etc. Finally, adjust the layout and formatting of your pivot table as needed using the Design and Analyze tabs to change its style, layout, subtotal, and grand total options.

5 How to customize your pivot table and chart?

Pivot tables and charts offer a lot of flexibility and customization options to make your data visualizations more appealing and informative. For instance, you can add calculated fields or items to your pivot table by going to the Analyze tab, clicking on Fields, Items & Sets, and choosing Calculated Field. You can also add conditional formatting to your pivot table by selecting the cells you want to format, going to the Home tab, clicking on Conditional Formatting, and setting the rules or criteria for your formatting. Additionally, you can add trendlines or error bars to your chart by selecting your chart, going to the Chart Design tab, clicking on Add Chart Element, and choosing Trendline. Lastly, you can add interactive features to your chart by going to the Developer tab, clicking on Insert, and choosing the type of control that you want to add. With these customization options, you can make your data visualizations more informative and engaging.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?