Visual Whispers: Unraveling Data with the Sankey Effect

In the realm of data visualization, there exists a silent orator of our numeric narratives – the Sankey chart. It’s not the loudest but perhaps one of the most profound in conveying the intricate details of data streams, processes, and flows. An often overlooked but powerful tool, the Sankey chart offers a compelling way to unravel complex information through a visual medium. The essence of the Sankey effect is to show the flow of data through the process of visual weighting.

What Are Sankey Charts?

Sankey charts are diagrammatic representations of flows between processes. Created by Matt Sankey in 1928, they visually separate input from output and display the flow in the diagram itself, making it easier to see how different elements are related to each other in terms of flow. These charts come in many styles, including both rectangular and circular Sankey diagrams.

Creation of a Sankey Chart

Let’s explore some steps to create a Sankey chart.

Data Collection:
The first step is to gather the data which you want to visualize. This data might include any kind of flow, such as energy consumption, currency exchange, data traffic, or nutrient cycles.
Layout Design:
Sankey charts are usually made of nodes and links. Nodes represent the types of flows you have, while links represent the flows themselves. Care must be taken over the number of nodes and links, to prevent overcrowded and difficult-to-read diagrams.
Software Selection:
Sankey charts can be created using various tools. Software like Sankey & Inf� (which provides a drag-and-drop interface) and Google Charts offer convenient options for beginners. For the technically inclined, there are several libraries like Sankey.js and Sankey-diagrams (for R users) that allow for a great deal of customization and scripting.
Customization:
Once the initial layout is in place, you can add labels, adjust the widths of the links, color-code different flows, and even add a title for a clearer description.

Applications of Sankey Charts

Sankey charts have a multitude of applications across various fields:

Environmental Studies: Used to display the journey of pollution from sources to sinks.
Energy Analysis: To show how energy flows through different stages, from generation to consumption.
Business Operations: Displays the inflow and outflows of capital, resources, or products in an organization’s supply chain.
Healthcare: Shows the data flow in medical procedures or patient journeys.
Internet Bandwidth: To illustrate data traffic across networks.

Educational Merit of Sankey Charts

The educational value of Sankey charts is immense, allowing complex data to be communicated effectively. They can help in:

Understanding the Big Picture: Sankey charts summarize a complex system in a simple and easy to understand way.
Identifying Bottlenecks or Losses: By analyzing the widths of nodes and links, one can quickly understand the relative importance of various processes and potential areas of inefficiency.
Communicating with Non-Experts: These diagrams make it easier to convey intricate information to a wide audience without the need for extensive explanations.

Conclusion

The Sankey chart presents information in a narrative, almost poetic way — it tells the story of data flow in a series of visual whispers. Through these gentle visual cues, Sankey charts provide profound insights into intricate data, offering a window into complex systems where words alone cannot suffice. As data becomes increasingly central to our decision-making processes, the Sankey chart continues to stand as a humble yet powerful tool for its quiet yet impactful storytelling.

SankeyMaster

SankeyMaster is your go-to tool for creating complex Sankey charts . Easily enter data and create Sankey charts that accurately reveal intricate data relationships.