Create Marimekko Charts in Excel: Easy Steps

Understanding Marimekko Charts

Marimekko charts, also known as mosaic or mekko charts, are a powerful visualization tool that combines bar charts and pie charts to display data in a two-dimensional layout. They are particularly useful for comparing values across categories while also breaking down these categories into subcategories, giving a visual representation of both market size and market share.

Why Use Marimekko Charts?

• To show hierarchical data relationships and part-to-whole relationships.
• To compare the distribution of different categories and subcategories.
• Great for visual representation of data with complex structures, like market segmentation or business portfolios.

Preparatory Steps Before Creating a Marimekko Chart

Before you jump into creating a Marimekko chart, preparation is key:

Organize Your Data

Your data should be structured where one column represents the categories, another the subcategories, and a third for the data values. Here’s how you should set it up:

Check Data Accuracy

Accuracy in data is crucial for Marimekko charts as small discrepancies can significantly alter the visual representation.

Calculate Percentage

Calculate the percentage each category represents within its respective group for better visualization.

How to Create a Marimekko Chart in Excel

Here are the steps to create a Marimekko chart in Excel:

1. Insert a Stacked Bar Chart

Start by selecting your data and inserting a Stacked Bar chart from the ‘Insert’ tab:

1. Select your data range.
2. Go to the ‘Insert’ tab.
3. Choose ‘Bar Chart’ and then ‘Stacked Bar’.

2. Customize Your Stacked Bar Chart

Adjust the chart to mimic the Marimekko chart:

1. Click on the chart to activate the ‘Chart Tools’.
2. Go to ‘Design’, then ‘Add Chart Element’ > ‘Data Labels’ > ‘Inside End’.
3. Change the x-axis labels to display categories.

3. Transforming into a Marimekko

To convert the stacked bar into a Marimekko:

• Remove the x-axis and gridlines for a cleaner look.
• Adjust the width of each segment to represent the share within each category. This requires manipulating the chart data series:

4. Adjusting the Data for Mekko Layout

Each bar’s width needs to reflect the overall contribution to the total:

1. Calculate the percentage each category represents of the total.
2. Add a new column for the width calculation.
3. Adjust the secondary axis to reflect these widths.

💡 Note: Excel does not natively support Marimekko charts, so these adjustments can be somewhat involved.

Tips and Tricks

Here are some advanced tips for creating more effective Marimekko charts:

• Use color effectively: Differentiate categories and subcategories with distinct colors to aid in understanding.
• Ensure Data Order: Arrange data in a way that the visual flow of the chart is logical.
• Labeling: Use data labels inside the bars for clarity.
• Manually Adjust: Sometimes you’ll need to manually adjust bar sizes and data labels for precision.

Summarizing the Process

Creating a Marimekko chart in Excel involves a series of steps that blend traditional chart creation with some manual data manipulation. Here’s what we covered:

• Understanding the unique capabilities of Marimekko charts for visualizing complex data.
• Preparing and structuring data accurately.
• Following a step-by-step guide to transform a stacked bar chart into a Marimekko chart.
• Incorporating tips and tricks for enhancing your charts.

Marimekko charts provide an insightful way to compare and understand market segments or different business areas, making data more accessible and visually appealing.

Related Terms:

• mekko chart in excel
• waterfall stacked bar chart excel
• mekko chart excel template
• marimekko graph excel
• mosaic or mekko charts
• marimekko market share chart