Small multiples - when stack bars just won't cut it . . .

Stacked bar charts can help readers make quick comparisons across categories. They can be particularly useful for breaking down responses to straightforward survey data - such as perceptions of services running on a scale from satisfied to dissatisfied - by demographic factors such as sex and age bands.

Formatting techniques, such as using white space to chunk related categories together, using axis labels to report category names and base sizes together, and thoughtful colour choices reflecting the logic of what's being charted, can all help make interpretation of stack bar charts fairly straightforward.  I've demo'd one approach to stacked bar chart design, showing how to use these and other formatting techniques in Excel 2016 to make charts to help non-technical readers out - not freak them out.

But sometimes, a stacked bar chart just won't cut it . . .