Beyond the Bar Chart

A combo chart overlays two different chart types on the same plot area — most commonly a column chart and a line chart — each mapped to its own axis. It solves one of the most common dashboard problems: showing two datasets that live on fundamentally different scales in the same visual space.

VBA required: No. Built entirely with native Excel chart tools.

A funnel chart shows values progressively decreasing across sequential stages — visualising drop-off, conversion, or attrition through a process. Each bar is centred and narrower than the one above, creating a distinctive funnel silhouette that makes the relative size of each stage immediately legible.

VBA required: No.

In-cell charts are micro-visualisations that live inside spreadsheet cells rather than as separate chart objects. They take two forms: Excel's native Sparklines (miniature line, bar or win/loss charts embedded in a cell), and REPT-function bar charts (a formula-driven technique that fills a cell with repeated characters scaled to a value). Both allow data tables to carry their own visual context without a separate chart object.

VBA required: No.

A waterfall chart visualises how an initial value is built up or broken down by a series of intermediate positive and negative contributions, arriving at a final total. Bars float at heights corresponding to cumulative running totals — each bar's top marks where the next bar begins — making the path from start to finish immediately readable. It is one of the most analytically powerful chart types in business reporting and one of the most underused.

VBA required: No.

A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart where each bar represents a task or phase, positioned along a timeline. Its x-axis is time; its y-axis is a list of activities. Bars begin at the task start date and end at the task end date. Excel has no native Gantt chart type — it is built by combining a stacked bar chart with an invisible start-date series, producing one of Excel's most valued dashboard constructs.

VBA required: Optional. A basic Gantt works without VBA. For dynamic Gantts with automated "today" line, progress shading, or dropdown-driven filtering, VBA or named range formulas are needed.

A waffle chart is a 10×10 grid of equal squares where each square represents 1% of a total. Filled squares (typically coloured) show the actual percentage; unfilled squares show the remainder. It is a visually compelling alternative to a pie or donut chart for single-percentage KPIs — more precise, more readable, and significantly more striking in a dashboard layout.

VBA required: No. Built using conditional formatting and a supporting percentage formula in a helper cell.

A butterfly chart (also called a tornado chart or back-to-back bar chart) displays two datasets horizontally on either side of a central axis, with categories shared between them. Left bars extend leftward; right bars extend rightward. It excels at head-to-head comparisons — making differences and similarities across a shared category list instantly readable.

VBA required: No.

A checkbox chart is a standard chart (column, line, bar or other) connected to a set of Form Control checkboxes that show or hide individual data series dynamically. Checking a box makes a series visible; unchecking hides it. The result is an interactive dashboard element that allows users to control what they see without editing the underlying data — a powerful UX upgrade for shared reports and presentations.

VBA required: No. Uses Form Control checkboxes linked to helper cells, combined with IF-based series toggle formulas. (VBA can be added for more advanced reset/select-all functionality.)

A speedometer chart (also called a gauge or dial chart) displays a single KPI value on a semicircular arc divided into coloured zones — typically red (poor), amber (caution) and green (target). A needle points to the current value. Excel has no native gauge type — it is built by combining a doughnut chart (for the arc and zones) with a pie chart (for the needle), then overlaying them on the same plot area. The result is one of Excel's most visually striking chart types and a perennial favourite in executive dashboards.

VBA required: Optional for static gauge. Required for a dynamic needle that updates live when a linked cell changes without requiring a chart refresh.

An image copy-paste chart (also called a picture fill chart or pictograph) is a bar or column chart where the fill of each bar is replaced by a repeated or stretched image — most often an icon, a product image or a branded graphic. This transforms a standard bar chart into a pictograph that communicates category identity through visual association, not just colour and height. It is built by copying an image to the clipboard and pasting it directly onto a selected chart bar.

VBA required: No.

A Pareto chart combines a descending bar chart with a cumulative percentage line, built on the principle that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. Bars are sorted largest to smallest (left to right); the cumulative line rises from 0% to 100% across the bars. A reference line at 80% allows instant identification of the "vital few" categories driving the majority of the outcome. Excel 2016+ includes a native Pareto chart type.

VBA required: No.