A sankey chart is a visually appealing and effective way to represent data in a more intuitive and understandable way. The chart, named after William Sankey, is a type of network diagram that is commonly used to visualize the flow of information or resources between different sources and sinks. In this article, we will take a journey through the world of sankey chart creation and applications, exploring the unique features, benefits and uses of this fascinating data visualization technique.

Understanding Sankey Charts

A sankey chart is a specialized type of network diagram that is commonly used to visually represent the flow of information or resources between different sources and sinks. It is based on the concept of a flow network, where nodes represent the different sources or sinks of the information or resources, and the edges represent the flow of information or resources between the nodes.

Sankey charts are based on a set of rules, known as the flow equation, to compute the flow of information or resources between different nodes. The flow equation is a mathematical formula that is used to compute the flow of information or resources between two nodes. The equation is expressed as:

f = (d1 * d2)/(e1 + e2), where:

• f is the flow of information or resources,
• d1 is the data source,
• d2 is the data sink,
• e1 is the edge from the source,
• e2 is the edge to the sink

The sankey chart is made up of several different data points and components, including:

• Nodes: These are the different data sources or sinks representing the flow of information or resources.
• Edges: These are the edges connecting the nodes, representing the flow of information or resources between the nodes.
• Text overlay: These are elements overlaying the edges indicating the direction of the flow of information or resources.

The Flow Equation

The flow equation is a mathematical formula for computing the flow of information or resources between two nodes. The equation is expressed as:

f = (d1 * d2)/(e1 + e2)

where:

• d1 is the data source,
• d2 is the data sink,
• e1 is the edge from the source,
• e2 is the edge to the sink

The equation can be simplified to get:

f = (d1 * d2)/(d1 + d2 – e1 – e2)

Another common method of visualizing flows in a sankey diagram is simply representing the data as a series of connected lines, with the source/sink shown as arrowheads, and the edges shown as lines connecting the points. This method is simpler but less precise compared to using the flow equation.

Applications and Benefits

Sankey charts are widely used in a variety of fields, including finance, engineering, supply chain management, healthcare, and more. They are particularly useful for visualizing the flow of information or resources between different sources and sinks, such as financial transactions, supply chain data flows, and more.

One of the unique benefits of sankey charts is their ability to represent the flow of information or resources in a visually attractive and intuitive way. Sankey charts are highly customizable and can be customized to suit the specific flow of information or resources being visualized. This makes it easy to customize the layout, add text elements, and represent the flow of information or resources in a more effective and engaging way.

Another advantage of sankey charts is their ability to represent the flow of data in a visual and intuitive way. Sankey charts are highly customizable and can be used to represent a wide range of data flow. As a result, they are widely used in industries such as finance, supply chain management, healthcare, and more to visualize the flow of data.

Creation of sankey charts

Creating sankey charts is relatively easy, as they are based on a set of predefined node, edge and text overlay layout rules. The process involves selecting the nodes and edges, positioning them, and adding text elements overlaying the edges to indicate the flow of information or resources. There are various online tools and software that can be used to create sankey charts, including Excel, Google Sheets, and Tableau.

With the advent of powerful visualization tools such as Tableau, we can also create sankey charts easily, which makes it easier for data analysts, scientists, and organizations to visualize the flow of data effectively.

In conclusion, sankey charts are a highly effective and visually appealing way to represent data in a more intuitive and understanding way. They are based on a set of predefined rules for visualizing the flow of information or resources, and with the help of powerful visualization tools, it is easy to create sankey charts. Sankey charts are widely used in a variety of fields, including finance, engineering, supply chain management, healthcare, and more, and they make for a highly effective data visualization tool.

SankeyMaster

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