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You’ll agree when we say displaying data hierarchically makes it incredibly easy for audiences to interpret key insights in a data story.
Why?
Our brains can instantly recognize high-to-low or low-to-high order of information.
So visualizing data using charts that display hierarchical insights can help you persuade your target audience (or readers).
This is where a Sunburst Chart in Excel comes in.
A Sunburst Diagram is an easy-to-interpret and amazingly insightful visualization. You should give it a try in your data stories before the year elapses.
We understand Excel is the go-to data visualization tool, especially among small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). But, the application comes with a pretty basic Sunburst Chart. You need extra effort and time to customize the chart to align with your requirements.
Worry not.
There’s a Sunburst Chart generator that comes with a super-friendly user interface (UI) to guarantee you access to hierarchical insights.
This blog will walk you through how to get started with Sunburst Diagram in Excel in your data stories. You’ll also discover how to leverage a Sunburst Chart maker to get the most out of your data.
Keep reading if you intend to take your Excel spreadsheet game to the expert level by using a third-party add-in.
Before we delve into the how-to guide, let’s define the Sunburst Diagram for your data stories. In the coming section, you’ll also learn the appropriate and proven situations to apply this chart.
So let’s get down to business.
Definition: A sunburst chart in Excel is a circular graph used to visualize hierarchical data. It shows data in a series of concentric rings, with each ring representing a level in the hierarchy. The center of the chart represents the top level, and the segments radiate outward to show deeper levels.
Sunburst charts are great for showing part-to-whole relationships. They help you see how different segments contribute to the whole. Each segment’s size is proportional to its value, making it easy to compare sections at different levels.
These cool Excel charts and graphs are particularly useful when dealing with multi-level data. They provide a clear visual representation that helps you quickly understand complex structures. By following the rings from the center outwards, you can trace the hierarchy and see how data is organized.
Sunburst charts have several key components. Understanding these will help you create and interpret the chart effectively.
The central node is the core of the chart. It represents the top-level category. From this node, all other segments radiate outwards. The central node is usually the largest and most important segment.
The size of the central node is not always significant. It’s more about its position as the starting point for the hierarchy. Think of it as the trunk of a tree, from which all branches (segments) grow.
Rings represent different levels of the hierarchy. Each ring is a layer, and each segment within the ring is a part of that layer. The closer the ring is to the center, the higher its level in the hierarchy.
Rings help you visualize how data is nested. By following the rings, you can see how top-level categories break down into subcategories, and so on. This makes it easier to understand the structure of your data.
Segments are the individual pieces within each ring. They show the actual data points. Each segment’s size reflects its value relative to the other segments at the same level.
Segments allow you to compare data within the same level. Larger segments indicate higher values, while smaller segments show lower values. This visual comparison is one of the strengths of sunburst charts.
A Sunburst chart in Excel is ideal for visualizing hierarchical data, such as organizational structures or category breakdowns. It effectively illustrates parent-child relationships and highlights proportions within each level of the hierarchy.
This chart is perfect for simplifying complex, multi-level data into a clear, compact visual that’s easy to interpret.
A Sunburst chart can effectively showcase a company’s global revenue by visualizing how revenue is distributed across regions, countries, and product categories. The outer layers of the chart can represent more granular data, such as specific product sales in different countries.
This chart can display the status of sales leads by breaking them down into stages, such as “New,” “In Progress,” “Won,” or “Lost.” The inner rings can represent broader lead categories, while the outer rings show specific lead statuses, providing a clear view of the sales pipeline.
A Sunburst chart is useful for visualizing the customer journey by showing how customers move through various touchpoints. For example, the center can represent the starting point (awareness), with subsequent rings showing interactions like website visits, product inquiries, and purchases.
For car sales data, a Sunburst chart can depict how sales are distributed by brand, model, and region. The inner layers might represent broader categories, such as car brands, while the outer layers can show specific models and their sales in different markets.
In food order analysis, the chart can represent categories such as cuisine type (e.g., Italian, Chinese), with outer layers showing specific dishes and order counts. It helps in understanding customer preferences and identifying the most popular food items.
ChartExpo is one of the best tools that over 30,000 professionals worldwide use to create Sunburst graphs and other insightful and easy-to-understand visualizations. It comes as an add-in you can easily install in your Excel to get the most from your data.
Labeling is one of the proven ways to make your data stories more compelling and easy to understand.
ChartExpo comes with easy-to-spot pencil-like icons to grant you unlimited freedom to label your Sunburst charts based on your needs.
This tool is loaded with 50-plus advanced charts in its library, such as:
ChartExpo is an Excel third-party add-in that many professionals use to access visualizations such as the Sunburst Chart.
ChartExpo helps you access a Sunburst chart Excel template to label and color your charts and graphs. It is the most suitable Sunburst Chart generator for your Excel because it has a user-friendly interface.
This section will use a practical example to deepen your understanding of how to make a Sunburst Chart in Excel.
Assume you own multiple mobile shops across the country. You aim to identify the phone brands that significantly contribute to your sales revenue.
Which chart can you use to visualize such data?
You guessed right. The Sunburst Diagram in Excel is your best pick. You can use an example of the data below to show your business mobile sales across the country.
| Orders | States | Cities | Total Orders |
| Orders | California | Fresno | 450 |
| Orders | California | Irvine | 524 |
| Orders | California | Malibu | 551 |
| Orders | Texas | Austin | 565 |
| Orders | Texas | Dallas | 445 |
| Orders | Texas | Plano | 454 |
| Orders | Florida | Miami | 522 |
| Orders | Florida | Tampa | 463 |
| Orders | Florida | Naples | 521 |
To get started with ChartExpo in Excel, follow the steps below:
Adding too many layers or categories can make the Sunburst chart cluttered and hard to interpret. Keep the hierarchy simple and focused to ensure clarity.
Ensure that the data reflects accurate parent-child relationships. Misplaced or misrepresented data can lead to confusion and misinterpretation.
Sunburst charts work best for hierarchical data. Using them for non-hierarchical or unrelated data can distort the information and reduce the chart’s effectiveness.
Using too many colors or similar hues can make the chart visually overwhelming. Choose contrasting colors for different layers to enhance readability and make it easier to distinguish between categories.
Sunburst charts offer several benefits. These advantages make them a valuable tool for data visualization.
Sunburst charts excel at showing hierarchical data. They provide a clear visual representation of how data is organized across different levels.
This makes it easy to understand complex structures. By following the rings from the center outward, viewers can see how data breaks down into subcategories. This hierarchical view is one of the key strengths of sunburst charts.
The size of each segment in a sunburst chart reflects its value. This makes it easy to compare different segments within the same level.
Viewers can quickly see which segments are larger or smaller. This visual comparison helps identify trends and patterns in the data. The ability to easily compare segments is a major advantage of sunburst charts.
Sunburst charts are visually engaging. Their circular design and colorful segments draw the viewer’s attention.
This makes them more appealing than traditional bar or line charts. Engaging visuals help capture and retain the viewer’s interest. Sunburst charts are an effective way to present data in a visually appealing format.
Using sunburst charts effectively requires some best practices. These tips will help you make the most of this powerful visualization tool.
Simplicity is key. Avoid cluttering your chart with too much data. Stick to the most important information to keep your chart clear and easy to understand.
Complex charts can be overwhelming and hard to read. Focus on the main points you want to convey. A simple, clean chart is more effective at communicating your message.
Clear labels are crucial for readability. Ensure that all segments are properly labeled with names and values. This helps viewers quickly grasp the information.
Avoid using overly technical terms or jargon in your labels. Simple, straightforward language makes your chart accessible to a wider audience. Clear labels ensure that your message is easily understood.
Color choices can enhance or detract from your chart. Use colors that are easy on the eyes and help differentiate segments. Avoid using too many colors, which can be confusing.
Consistent color schemes help viewers follow the data. Use contrasting colors for adjacent segments to make them stand out. Thoughtful color choices make your chart more visually appealing and easier to interpret.
The Sunburst Chart is ideal for displaying hierarchical insights into your data.
Each hierarchy level in the chart is represented by one ring or circle, with the innermost circle as the highest point of the hierarchy. A Sunburst Diagram (without hierarchical levels) shares remarkable similarities with a Donut Chart.
The go-to data visualization tool for many businesses is Excel because it’s easy to use and familiar to many.
However, it produces basic Sunburst Charts that require more time to customize and edit. Supercharge your Excel with add-ons, such as ChartExpo, to access charts that are amazingly easy to read.
Hierarchically displaying data is one of the easiest ways of extracting reliable insights.
What’s the best chart for the job other than the Sunburst Chart in Excel?
Well, a Sunburst Chart is such a visualization that designs experts use to determine the hierarchy of crucial data points.
So what Sunburst Diagram maker do we recommend?
We recommend you install third-party apps, such as ChartExpo in Excel, to access advanced charts. ChartExpo is an add-in you can easily download and install in your Excel spreadsheet.
ChartExpo’s extensive library has the Sunburst Graph, plus over 50 more charts. Besides, you don’t need programming or coding skills to visualize your data using the Sunburst Visualization generator.
Sign up for a 7-day free trial today to access Sunburst Charts that are amazingly easy to interpret and visually appealing to your target audience.
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