How to create a Simple Radar Chart in Tableau?

How to create a Simple Radar Chart in TableauSKILLPILL by FLORIN UIFĂLEAN DATA ANALYST @btProvider

You can easily create radar charts in Tableau by leveraging its powerful visualization tools and calculated fields. This allows you to dynamically compare multiple institutions’ attributes and gain insights into their performance across various characteristics.

A radar chart is a graphical method of comparing two or more items or groups based on multiple characteristics. Each variable is represented by an axis, and the data is plotted as a polygon over these axes. The radar chart is useful for visualizing multivariate data, as each observation or case is depicted by a polygon, making it easy to see how they overlap and in which direction.

The radar chart appears as irregular polygons, usually with the same center, making it easy to compare multiple attributes along their respective axes. It is especially effective for comparing quality data, as differences in the size and shape of the polygons reveal overall differences. Moreover, radar charts allow for the representation of many variables next to each other while maintaining the same resolution.

Radar charts are most effective when comparing one thing’s performance to a standard or a group’s performance. For instance, when displaying data about an average student’s ability in various school subjects, overlaying another polygon showing a particular student’s data allows for a quick comparison to the average student in each category.

In this #Skillpill, we compare different institution’s attributes.  

 

Step 1: Data preparation 

As usual when starting a Tableau project, the first step is to prepare the data

→ In this case, you need to duplicate the first attribute column in the data set to help us close the polygon

→ Then, pivot all the columns with attributes and give them more suggestive names: Attributes and Values 

 Step 2: Create the calculated fields

Create 4 calculated fields that you will use in the visualization 

Set Trajectory and angle for each category 

The first field named “Path” will create the path for the polygon

You are using a case statement to assign a value to each attribute

The second calculated field, named “Radian,” gives you the angles of the polygon

Also, you need to create the calculation fields for the X and Y coordinates

Step 3: Configure the view

→ To build the chart, bring the X calculation to the columns and Y to the rows

→ Change the view to a Line chart

→ Add the Path calculated field to the path, then change it to Dimension

→ Place the institutions in color, filter according to preferences, in this case by Country, and display Values on the label

 

Now you have a radar chart! 

 

Here is the dashboard in Tableau Public:

 

Watch the video tutorial here:

 

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