How to Make a Kite Chart in Excel

A kite chart is a perfect diagram that graphically enlightens the way that the abundance of various species changes at different places in the same line. Density is found by measuring each of a series of survey areas, which are called quadrats.

This is usually taken at a measuring distance along a transect, which is a suitable line that goes through a habitat that usually changes. It is possible to measure it in units of some kind, or even as a percentage of coverage, while counting the impracticable individuals.

It is possible for a kite chart to show the abundance of key marine species while moving from a splash zone to below the low tide mark on the rocky shore.

Gathering Data

It is important to make sure that critical data is laid out correctly on the spreadsheet of your Microsoft Excel.

Write “title” on one column, and what you would like the title to be on the column beside it.

title columns

Give names to the species. The marked area in green is meant to clarify what we have given to the species.

row highlighted

These are the original kite values that we have outlaid. You are to decide on your own kite values.

kite values

Necessary Calculation

We are now going to make the calculations that make it easier to make the kite chart.

The marked area is the place where we have put the value of the kite line offset. As you have seen, there are gaps in between the numbers in the marked area.

calculations

The marked area in the picture shown above is to show you the value of the kite line data. The marked area in the picture shown above is equal to the top row of the species, which in this case is the one beneath Right, Left, and Center on the left side of the picture. In this case, I click on each of the marked columns and type “=A4, =B4, =C4” in them.

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gaps

Click on the column that is marked as number 1. You should now calculate the value of the kite offset, which is D3 in this case, and add the original kite value, which is the one marked in red, and minus the kite line datum. I click on the column, and then type in what you’d see in it.

formulas

There is a small square beside number 1. Pointing there with a mouse would show a small plus symbol. Click and hold onto that square, and then drag it down. This would automatically change the calculation.

formula drag down

Click on the column that is directly under the kite line datum, which is 10. This is the one marked as number 1, and then type in the same thing that is showing in number 2. It is assumable that you are using the same columns that we are using in this one.

if formula

Click and hold on the small square beside the one labeled at number 1, and drag it down.

hold and drag formula

Click on the column labeled “number 1,” and type in the thing showing up at number 2, and press enter. The small square beside number 3 should be clicked, held onto, and dragged down.

drag formula calculations

We are going to click on the column marked as number 1, and then type in the information shown in number 2, and press enter.

automatic calculations

Click on the result to see a small square. Click and hold onto it, and drag it down for automatic calculation.

You should click on the column marked as number 1, write the same thing as shown in number 2, and press enter. Once you press enter, you will see a small square that you can drag down, as we did before.

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h column calculations

Click on the column that has been labeled as number 1, and is showing in green, and type in the details as it has been displayed as number 2. You should change the columns (c4, h3, and so on) to the ones with values that correspond to the ones with information related to the kite chart. This goes for all the data values.

last calculations

Making Data Fancy

It is about making the right adjustments that make it easier to create the kite chart.

Mark the columns, as marked in number 1, and go to the home tab, which is marked as number 2. Finally, choose the Cell Styles, as it is marked as number 3, and finally choose the style, as it is marked as number 4.

cell styles

You should repeat the same thing to make the scene look like that shown in the picture below.

repeat cell styles

Creating the Chart

We are going to create the chart.

Mark the columns, as in this case, we marked D4:I13 to cover all areas.

select data

Click on the insert tab, as it is shown in number 1, and then choose from the recommended charts. You could alternatively click on the alt, as it is the area charts.

insert area chart

There is a kite chart creation that would make it possible to further develop the kite chart.

area charts

Creating Kite Chart

We do have a chart ready, but it is not a kite chart. We are going to finalize the details and make the chart ready.

Click on series 2, as marked in number 1, and then choose number 2 to choose the same color as the plot area.

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chart plot area

Click on the plot area, as marked as number 1, and then choose the color that matches the plot color, as marked as number 2.

plot color

Click on the plot area, as labeled as number 1, and then change the color to the same as the plot color, as number 2.

change plot color

We are now going to delete series 2, series 4, and series 6 by selecting each one of them and pressing delete.

delete series legend

Changing Series Names

We are now going to change the series 1, 3, and 5 as they are currently shown on the chart we created.

Right click on the legend, as it is marked as number 1 in the picture shown above, and choose select data, as marked as number 2.

click select data

Click on series1, as it is part of the three legends we left, after deleting series 2, 4, and 6. This is the one labeled as number 1, and then click on edit, which is number 2, and then click on Ok.

select data source

Click on the column under “series name”. It is number 1, and then click on the column with the series name, which is labeled number 2, and then click okay, as labeled number 3. You should repeat this step with series 3 and 5.

edit series

The Kite Chart This is what the kite chart looks like:

excel kite chart example

Even though we have deleted series 2, 4, and 6, it does not affect the details. The data is still intact.

That was an Excel charting tutorial on how to create and how to tweak a Kite Chart.

You can download a free kite chart template here.