The above graph wants to see the trend of mortality rate in a relationship with epoetin dose and hematocrit group range. Within each hematocrit group, as the epoetin dose increases the mortality rate trend is increasing and the highest mortality rate being for hematocrit group range of <30%. Within each epoetin dose quartile, there is an increasing trend in the mortality rate as the hematocrit group range decreases.
Issues in the above graph:
1. Use of 3D chart: The use of 3D charts is confusing as well as deceptive to our human’s eyes. 3D graphs misrepresent the data which makes it difficult to determine the correct value. Analyzing the 3D charts requires additional brain processing which shouldn’t be the case. It’s not easy to understand the trend or insight of the mortality rate with respect to epoetin dose and hematocrit group. In more than 39 hematocrit group bar, Q2 and Q4 seem to be same.
2. Multiple colors: Use of multiple colors is distracting. Adding more colors makes it hard to read the graph.
How can be the graph improvised:
1. Convert 3D to 2D: Using bar graph, it helps to determine the values correctly as well as understand the trend of the mortality rate in a relationship with hematocrit group and epoetin dose. Deception about values for Q2 and Q4 for “>39%’ being same is eliminated.
2. Use one or two colors.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_RLPSpuvXY1LUREek1vaG41Yjg