Waterfall in : Fit
Waterfall decides what is being compared in under “Fit.” The figure that must stay on the axis is 1980. Drawing it larger does not create a unit. Look first for a cut axis and a missing key. Waterfall: honour signed bar height from a running total, and switch when the story is a trend over many periods, not a bridge.
When the story is: P&L bridges, budget vs actual, headcount walks. Skip it in cases like: the story is a trend over many periods, not a bridge. Popularised in 1980s–90s consulting decks (McKinsey waterfall) signed bar height from a running total Yes if one claim is visible at a glance in Meta, Google and retail print; otherwise link to a full figure.
Yes for lab reports and poster boards if axes, units and a source line are present. Excel or Google Sheets or PowerPoint; export SVG/PDF. Do not rely on hue alone. Label directly and check greyscale. The core mark of Waterfall is signed bar height from a running total. P&L bridges, budget vs actual, headcount walks
The eye compares length and position more accurately than area. PowerPoint, Excel or Google Sheets and Meta, Google and retail print share the same geometry. Decoration rarely persuades; it slows reading. Perspective distortion wrecks comparison. Keep it flat. Do not stack stories. One Waterfall, one claim.
Read Waterfall as , “Fit,” and 1980. A bar with no unit is not those three.1980
Figures to keep
- Year of the chart
- 1980
- Axis figure
- 1980
- Chart
- Waterfall
- How to read it
- Fit
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