Sankey charts are a type of data visualization that allow for the visually representation of data flows. The name comes from the man, Matthew Henry Phineas Riall Sankey, who developed this type of chart system in 1898. The main difference from traditional bar charts is that the data flows through the chart are depicted as arrows, the sizes of which represent the amount of data being moved. This makes it easy to see at a glance which data paths are the most significant, and which aren’t.

Understanding Sankey Charts

In every Sankey chart, there are three main parts: Sources, Sinks, and Flows. Sources are where the data originates from while the sink denotes where the data ends up. In essence, these data paths tell us where the inputs come from and where the outputs end up. The flows in between, which are the most significant features, show the transformation or movement of the data.

Creating a Sankey Chart

Creating a Sankey chart might seem complex at first, but with the right tools, it is a straightforward process. Tools such as Google Charts, Tableau, Plotly, and others provide templates and guides on how to construct them. Here are typical steps:

1. Data Collection: The first step must be obtaining your data. This will include the ‘sources,’ ‘sinks,’ and the ‘flows’ data.

2. Data Representation: Each ‘source,’ ‘sink,’ and ‘flow’ must be represented in the chart. This is done by assigning each item a category.

3. Chart Construction: Select a charting library or tool. These libraries allow you to input your data and customize it. Here’s how it usually works:

   • Identify each distinct data source and assign it a label.
   • Similarly, identify each data sink.
   • The final step is to input the flow data, with the amount of data in each flow being a key visual aspect.

4. Customization: Adjust the aesthetics of the chart, including the colors, labels, and node spacing. This is important for ensuring clarity and readability.

Sankey Chart Applications

While Sankey charts’ complexity can be off-putting, their benefits outweigh their creation difficulty. Here are some fields where Sankey charts are commonly employed:

• Resource Flow Analysis: Displaying where energy consumption varies within an industry, how resources move through a manufacturing process, etc.
• Financial Transactions: Monitoring money flows in complex industries such as financial trading or multinational companies’ global economies.
• Internet and Social Networking Data: Illustrating the movement of web traffic between websites or how content spreads among social media platforms.
• Health and Epidemiology Studies: To display how diseases spread from one place to another or within a population.
• Economics and Policy Studies: Tracking the flow of financial transactions based on different sectors or over time.

Final Thoughts

Sankey charts offer a great way to visualize complex data flows in an intuitive and compelling manner. Despite a learning curve for the initial creation, the clarity and depth of information they provide make them indispensable in numerous fields. By understanding how to create and interpret Sankey charts, you can unlock powerful insights within your data, guiding decisions with clear visual paths of data movements. So why not incorporate Sankey charts into your data visualization toolbox?

SankeyMaster

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