---
title: In-cell Excel charts
date: "2006-08-17T12:00:00Z"
categories:
  - excel-tips
wp_id: 261
description: I created in-cell Excel charts and staffing plans using text formulas and conditional formatting instead of standard chart tools. This method aligns data perfectly by using thin cells and simple logic to visualize timelines and bars.
keywords: [excel, conditional formatting, data visualization, staffing plan, gantt charts, formulas]
---

Juice analytics has some [Excel graphing](http://www.juiceanalytics.com/weblog/index.php?tag=excel) tips. You can make charts like below without using charts, using just text.

These are useful because the charts are aligned with the data.

[![Excel Gantt charts using just text](/blog/assets/flickr-excel-gantt-charts-using-just-text_217629714_o-gif.webp)](/blog/assets/flickr-excel-gantt-charts-using-just-text_217629714_o-gif.webp)

[![Excel bar charts using just text](/blog/assets/flickr-excel-bar-charts-using-just-text_217629715_o-gif.webp)](/blog/assets/flickr-excel-bar-charts-using-just-text_217629715_o-gif.webp)

I once used a similar technique to display people's staffing position. The sheet below lists people, projects they're on and how long they'll be on. The coloured cells to the right are a calendar display of the same stuff. Makes it easy to read.

[![Excel Staffing Plan without using charts](/blog/assets/flickr-excel-staffing-plan-without-using-charts_217642002_o-png.webp)](/blog/assets/flickr-excel-staffing-plan-without-using-charts_217642002_o-png.webp)

The trick is to place each week for each person as a thin cell, like below. Then the cell is populated with a formula that makes it 0 or 1 depending on whether the person is available that week or not. (The blue row #2 stores the start date of the week, and I compare this with the end date of each person's project.)

[![Excel Staffing Plan - formula](/blog/assets/flickr-excel-staffing-plan---formula_217642004_o-png.webp)](/blog/assets/flickr-excel-staffing-plan---formula_217642004_o-png.webp)

And then, you can turn on conditional formatting.

[![Excel Staffing Plan - conditional formatting](/blog/assets/flickr-excel-staffing-plan---conditional-formatting_217642003_o-png.webp)](/blog/assets/flickr-excel-staffing-plan---conditional-formatting_217642003_o-png.webp)