How to Create Waffle Chart in Tableau dailybitalks.com

How to Create Waffle Chart in Tableau

A waffle chart is a highly effective visualization for showing progress toward a goal or illustrating percentages as part-to-whole relationships. This grid-based chart uses a 10×10 structure to represent percentages, with each square equating to 1% of the total.

In this blog post, we’ll guide you through creating a waffle chart in Tableau, step by step, using a simple and reusable method.

Why Use a Waffle Chart?

Waffle charts are ideal for:

  • Representing percentages in a visually engaging way.
  • Tracking progress toward a target (e.g., KPI achievement).
  • Displaying part-to-whole relationships clearly.

Unlike pie charts, waffle charts provide a structured and precise way to show proportions, especially when combined with supporting text or metrics.

Step 1: Prepare the Data

To create a waffle chart, you’ll need a data scaffold to generate the 10×10 grid.

  1. Create a Grid Dataset:
    • Use a tool like Excel or Google Sheets to create two columns: X and Y.
    • Populate the X column with numbers from 1 to 10 and the Y column with numbers from 1 to 10.
    • This will create a 10×10 grid when plotted in Tableau.
    • Support sheet that we can easily download from this link.
  2. Once downloaded, connect this file as a new data source in Tableau, aside the original superstore datesource.

Step 2: Build the Waffle Chart Grid

  1. Convert Fields to Dimensions
    • Right-click on the Rows and Columns fields in the data pane and convert them to Dimensions.
    • Drag Rows to the Rows shelf and Columns to the Columns shelf.
    • Right-click on the Rows pill in the Rows shelf to Sort Descending.
  2. Change the Mark Type to Square
    • On the Marks card, change the mark type to Square.
  3. Resize the Table
    • Drag the edges of the table (from the bottom and the right-hand side) to enlarge the visualization.
    • Use the Size slider on the Marks card to adjust the size of the squares, ensuring they fit together neatly without gaps.
  4. Hide Headers and Remove Row Dividers
    • Right-click on the headers for both Rows and Columns and select Hide to declutter the view.
    • Go to Format and remove unnecessary lines between rows.

Step 3: Create Calculated Fields for the Color of Waffle Chart

Click on the original data source (Sample – Superstore) and start creating calculated fields.

To represent the sales of each region as a percentage in the waffle chart, I created calculated fields named East Region, West Region, Central Region, and South Region, based off [Region] field and following this formula for each region:

SUM(IF [Region] = 'East' THEN [Sales] END) / SUM([Sales])

Once this part is done, switch to the template dataset and create a new calculated field.

IF avg([Percentage])<= 
    [Sample - Superstore].[West Region] then 'West'
ELSEIF avg([Percentage])<= 
    [Sample - Superstore].[West Region] + [Sample - Superstore].[East Region] then 'East'
ELSEIF avg([Percentage])<= 
    [Sample - Superstore].[West Region] + [Sample - Superstore].[East Region] 
    + [Sample - Superstore].[Central Region] then 'Central'
ELSE "North"
END

Because it will be used on color, I call it region color and let’s drag it to “Color” under Marks, pick your color options and that is it!

Waffle charts are an excellent way to showcase percentages with a clean, grid-based visualization. By following these steps in Tableau, you can create a waffle chart that not only communicates key metrics effectively but also adds a creative element to your dashboards.

Experiment with different metrics, color schemes, and layouts to customize the chart for your audience, and you have a nice Waffle chart to go!

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/white.gloves/viz/TableauTips—WaffleChart/Dashboard1?