Unraveling the Flow: The Art and Science of Sankey Sauce

Introduction

The art and science behind creating a Sankey diagram, often whimsically referred to as “Sankey Sauce,” is a blend of data visualization, flow analysis, and design principles. Sankey diagrams are powerful tools for illustrating the flow of materials, energy, and money. This article explores the art and science of crafting Sankey diagrams, their applications, and the steps to create an effective Sankey “sauce.”

The Art of Sankey Diagrams

What is a Sankey Diagram?

A Sankey diagram is a direction-wise flow diagram where the width of the arrows indicates the quantity of material, energy, or money flowing through a process. Introduced in 1898 by German engineer MC Sankey, these diagrams are now popular due to their ability to show the efficiency of a system by visualizing the quantity of resources consumed and produced.

Why Sankeys Are Art?

Sankey diagrams are visually compelling because they transform complex systems into intuitive flow maps. The aesthetic of a Sankey chart includes the careful selection of colors, arrows, and scales to represent vast amounts of data in a digestible format. The art lies in ensuring that the diagram is clear, informative, and accessible, capturing the essence of the system in question.

The Science Behind It

Design Principles

Sankey diagram creation requires understanding and application of several design principles:

• Focus on flows: Always highlight the flow of interest over form and structure, making sure that the width of arrows does justice to the quantity of the flow.

• Simplicity: Avoid clutter. A Sankey diagram should be as simple and clear as possible, ensuring that the reader can trace flows without confusion.

• Clarity: Use clearly labeled nodes, and keep the overall structure of the diagram as straightforward as possible to avoid misinterpretation.

• Standardization: Use a standardized color scheme, or at a minimum, make the color palette consistent throughout the diagram.

Data Accuracy

The science is rooted in ensuring that the Sankey diagram accurately reflects the data. Data collection, curation, and analysis are paramount:

• Data Quality: Use accurate, reliable, and up-to-date data for your Sankey diagram.

• Normalization: Normalize the data to ensure comparability across different flows and processes.

Tools for Creation

• Sankey Diagram Software: There is a range of specialized software tools available for creating Sankey diagrams, such as Sankey-Diagram.me, Draw.io, and the R package sankey.

Applications of Sankey Diagrams

Sankey diagrams are widely used across various industries and disciplines, including:

• Energy Analysis: Visualizing energy flows in power plants and industrial processes.

• Environmental Science: Tracking material streams and waste flows in a factory or ecosystem.

• Engineering: Demonstrating process flow in manufacturing systems.

• Financial Analysis: Showing the flow of funds in a company or investment model.

The Sankey Sauce: Crafting the perfect visual potion

As you embark on the creation of a Sankey diagram, consider the following steps to develop your Sankey Sauce:

1. Identify the System under Study: Clearly define the boundaries of the system you wish to analyze.

2. Gather your Data: Collect precise and relevant data for the flows you are trying to represent.

3. Choose the Right Software: Select the appropriate Sankey diagram creation tool.

4. Design the Diagram: Use the software to map out your system. Start with the main processes as the primary channels in your Sankey diagram. Assign widths to the channels that match your data.

5. Incorporate Joints and Nodes: Ensure that each process has appropriate joints (starting or ending points of the channels) and nodes (points where two or more channels intersect).

6. Use Sensible Labeling: Label the channels, nodes, and sources with clear, concise names.

7. Adjust and Refine: Continuously review and tweak your diagram until it accurately represents the data and is easy to understand.

8. Finalize: Before finalizing, present the Sankey diagram to a colleague or stakeholder to get feedback on its clarity and accuracy.

Conclusion

Creating a Sankey diagram, or Sankey Sauce, is a delightful fusion of art and science, requiring both creativity and technical expertise. By understanding the principles of design and data handling, and with the right tools, you can craft Sankey diagrams that are as visually appealing as they are informative. With this knowledge, you can effectively visualize the complex flow of material, energy, and money in virtually any system.

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.