Bubble Chart = Scatter Chart + Bubble Size
A Bubble chart shows the relationship between two different variables represented by the X and Y axes, with Bubble Size (optional) representing optional metric.
1. Bubble Chart
In this chart, we are displaying Users and Revenue by Age Group, with Bubble Size (optional) representing Revenue per user. Without the Bubble Size configuration, the above chart would be a Scatter Chart.
Recommended: Yes, With One Dimension
It’s best to stay one dimensional with both Scatter and Bubble Charts. More than one dimension will be hard to differentiate to most of your report’s audience — see next example.
Always show both axis and test for the number bubble that can fit inside the chart, and too many bubbles will make the chart difficult to read.
2. Bubble Chart: Two or more Dimensions
In this chart, we are displaying Users and Revenue by Age Group, with Bubble Size (optional) representing Revenue per user. Without the Bubble Size configuration, the above chart would be a Scatter Chart.
Recommended: No
As you can see, we have two same colors for each age group, and unless we have data labels, it's hard to differentiate. But, unfortunately, the data labels will make the chart very messy in most cases.
Enjoy reading the guide? I have explained every chart available in the new Data Studio Book here. Visual explanations for graphs configurations, style, format, and recommendations. So you can also see how the final result will look and why one design is better than others for the same chart.
- Scorecards
- Pie/Doughnut Chart
- Bullet Charts
- Gauge Charts
- Line Charts/Time Series Charts
- Column Charts
- Combo Charts
- Table
- Pivot Tables
- Area Charts
- Scatter Charts
- Bubble Chart
- Geo Maps Charts
- Treemap
- Bullet Chart vs Gauge Chart
Configuration across chart:
- Background and Border
- Missing Data
- Conditional Formatting
- Chart Header
- Legends
- Reference Lines
- Report Settings
Most Used Features: