Today we’re taking a look at a couple of interactive chart templates that you can use in Articulate Storyline. On their own charts are a useful tool for organizing data and information. One chart can effectively display pages of information in the space of what would be one paragraph. But combining the powers of digital media with the timeless art of chart-making, you can really make an information-dense piece that packs a wallop.
Many of us grew up using some form of the food pyramid to guide our diet. The concept was pretty simple. You had a large triangle cut into six pieces, bread and grains in the big trapezoid at the bottom, working up to fats and sugars in the little wedge on top. Though this version of the food pyramid had many flaws (misleading proportions of each food group, lack of clarity, etc.) and has since been replaced, that pyramid chart is burned into our cultural memory.
Regardless of it’s utilization in a flawed diet guide, when it is used correctly, a pyramid chart can be a very useful tool. Had the proportions of each food group been more accurately represented, the old food pyramid might have been a more effective tool, too.
Our interactive pyramid chart can be used in a couple different ways. You could use it in a similar way to the old food pyramid—a pseudo-pie chart measuring relative proportions—or as a measure of hierarchy. The top piece could represent the most important concept or person with subordinate pieces of the chart descending toward the bottom and the base layer at the bottom.
Our template also allows you to click each piece of the chart to access a pop-up with more information. On this important page you can include titles, an introductory paragraph or a brief bio, maybe even an eye-catching image.
Here we have a simple and straightforward table chart. It’s easy to read and the relevant information is plain as day. But just like the Pyramid chart, it has another trick up its sleeve. Click a column to reveal supplementary information about that data set.
The interactive table is great for data sets that introduce new concepts to the learner. For instance, you might use the table to display information about several different countries. If one column was labeled GDP, learner’s could click that column to learn that GDP stands for Gross Domestic Product, a measure of the total monetary value of all goods and services produced within a country.