Visual Chart Types
Data can answer many kinds of questions, but not all questions are best served by the same visual. Lumi AI offers a wide range of visualization options to help you move from raw data to actionable insights. Each visual type serves a specific analytical purpose — from precision and drilldowns to executive storytelling and KPI monitoring.
Table Chart
A tabular display of raw or aggregated data in rows and columns. It presents exact values, often with sorting, filtering, or highlighting options.
This type of reporting is typically chosen when the user wants to:
Ensure precision and give stakeholders direct access to the actual numbers.
Provide a detailed breakdown that complements higher-level visual summaries.
Explore small datasets or drill down into details after reviewing charts.
Takeaway: Tables are valuable because they show percentages and absolute numbers together. Percentages highlight relative importance or proportion, while absolute values reveal the scale and real-world impact.
Line Chart
A chart that connects data points with a continuous line, typically used to show values across time or another ordered dimension.
This chart type is most effective when the goal is to:
Highlight trends, growth, or decline over time.
Compare multiple series on the same timeline to spot similarities or differences.
Emphasize continuity and direction of change rather than individual point values.
Takeaway: Line charts are especially powerful is their ability to reveal both the magnitude of change and the momentum behind it. Momentum shifts can reflect external influences such as seasonality (e.g., holiday spikes) or the impact of strategic programs (e.g., product launches, marketing campaigns).
Bar Chart
A Bar Chart represents categorical data with rectangular bars, where the length of each bar is proportional to its value. Bars can be displayed vertically (columns) or horizontally.
This chart type is most effective when the goal is to:
Compare categories side by side to see how they stack against each other.
Rank values clearly, making it easy to identify leaders and laggards.
Spot anomalies or outliers that stand out against the rest of the distribution.
Improve readability when category labels are long (horizontal bars work best).
Takeaway: Bar charts are powerful because they make differences, rankings, and outliers instantly visible — one of the fastest ways to transform raw comparisons into clear, actionable insights.
Area Chart
An Area Chart is a variation of the line chart where the space beneath the line is shaded, emphasizing not just the trend but also the magnitude of contributions over time.
While a line chart is ideal for showing movement (ups and downs), an area chart adds context by visually representing the amount behind those movements. The shaded region transforms a simple trajectory into a sense of scale, helping viewers instantly grasp how significant a change really is.
Area charts are especially effective when you want to:
Illustrate the total accumulation or intensity of a metric across time (e.g., total revenue, traffic, or usage).
Reinforce how much of something has occurred, rather than only how it has changed.
Create a stronger emotional and visual impact — the filled area draws the eye and conveys depth, making trends feel more tangible
Key Points to Note
Area charts currently support only single time series data. Pivoting or subaggregating is currently in development.
Takeaway: Area charts move beyond general time-series analysis by revealing the composition of change. They make it easy to see which categories, products, or regions are contributing most to a KPI’s movement.
Scatter Chart
A Scatter Plot visualizes data as individual points plotted along two axes, allowing you to see how variables interact with one another. Unlike charts that summarize data into totals or categories, scatter plots preserve the raw distribution, making hidden patterns easier to spot.
This chart type is most effective when the goal is to:
Instantly uncover relationships between variables without heavy drilldowns.
Detect positive/negative correlations or the absence of one.
Identify outliers that stand apart from the pattern.
Reveal clusters that indicate natural groupings in the data.
Takeaway: Scatter plots let you skip the drilldowns and surface hidden dynamics instantly — the fastest way to move from “what happened” to “why did it happened.” For example, in the chart above, you can immediately see anomalies in the 3008 and 3009 promotion programs, prompting deeper investigation into why sales actually dropped during those periods.
Pie Chart
A Pie Chart is a circular chart divided into slices, with each slice representing a category’s proportion of the whole.
When to best use it
To show part-to-whole relationships for a small number of categories (ideally ≤ 5).
When the focus is on proportions and share, not exact values.
For simple, high-level communication that needs to be instantly understood.
Takeaway: Pie charts make contributions instantly visible, quickly showing who contributes what and spotlighting dominant categories without overwhelming the viewer. They are especially helpful for management decisions, such as whether to shrink, phase out, or reallocate resources for underperforming segments, since low-contributing slices stand out immediately.
Doughnut Chart
Doughnut charts are more than just a cleaner version of pie charts — they’re built for executive storytelling. By placing the headline KPI in the center, they tie the total directly to its contributing parts, making it easy to see the big picture and the breakdown in one glance.
This chart is more effective when you need to perform the following:
Highlighting contribution to a total: When you want to tie the whole (the KPI in the center) directly to the parts (the slices around it).
Comparing multiple metrics: When several KPIs (e.g., revenue, expenses, churn) need to be compared side by side in a dashboard, with each doughnut carrying both the total and its composition.
Cleaner dashboards: When space is limited and you want a chart that’s compact, scannable, and consistent across different KPIs.
Takeaway: Doughnut charts are the executive-friendly upgrade to pie charts. They keep the total visible, reduce dashboard clutter, and make it easier to connect the big number with its contributing slices — all in one glance.
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