Pie or donut chart: which one to use
Choosing a pie or donut chart is mostly a matter of taste, since both show the same thing: how a whole divides into parts. In Jestor, both are available on the same chart type, along with options for colors, borders, labels and percentages.
Why composition charts are so often misused
A pie chart answers one question well: what share does each category hold. It answers almost everything else badly, including comparison over time, ranking close values and anything with more than about six slices.
Most bad pie charts are bad because they were asked a question they cannot answer.
When a pie or donut works:
- Three to six categories making up a whole
- Shares that differ enough to be distinguishable
- A single moment in time, not a trend
- An audience that needs proportion, not precision
Configuration options
| Option | What it controls | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Pie or donut | The shape | Personal preference |
| Field colors | Uses the colors of the field values | Keep consistency across views |
| Border | The divider between slices | Keep it with similar colors |
| Title | Whether it is shown | Keep it unless context is obvious |
| Percentage | Whether values appear | Show it, since proportion is the point |
| Legend | Whether it is displayed | Show it unless labels are on the slices |
Step by step to build one
- Activate build mode on the app.
- Add the chart and choose the pie type.
- Pick pie or donut, according to preference.
- Enable field colors, so the chart matches the colors used elsewhere for those values.
- Decide on the border, keeping it when slice colors are similar.
- Show the percentage, since proportion is what the chart exists to communicate.
- Keep the legend unless the slices are labelled directly.
Why using the field's own colors matters
If a status is red on the board and blue in the chart, readers have to translate between views. Taking the colors from the field itself means green means the same thing everywhere, and the chart becomes readable without a legend lookup.
- Both shapes available: pie and donut on the same chart type
- Field colors respected: consistency across board, table and chart
- Labels optional: percentage and legend toggled independently
- Keep the slice count low: readability drops past about six
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the chart use the same colors as my field values?
Yes. Colors can be taken from the selected field rather than a default palette. See jestor.com.
Should I show percentages?
Usually yes, since proportion is the reason to use this chart type.
How many slices is too many?
Past about six, readability drops and a bar chart usually works better.
Video Tutorial: Step by Step
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