Ebb and Flow: Unveiling the Art of Sankey’s Secret Streams

Introduction to Sankey Charts

In the world of data visualization, there is a unique and elegant tool called the Sankey diagram, named after its creator, Edward Sankey, an English chemist who developed it in the late 19th century for the purpose of representing the energy flow in a chemical process. Since then, Sankey diagrams have become a powerful, often used chart for depicting the flow of material, energy, or cost across a system. Their distinctive feature is the “stream-like” arrows that allow us to understand and analyze the dynamics of the quantities flowing through complex processes.

The Art of Sankey Chart Creation

The art of creating a Sankey chart lies in its ability to depict a flow process in a way that is both visually engaging and numerically precise. Here’s how it’s done:

Design Considerations

1. Scale Consistency: Ensure that the width of the arrows is proportional to the magnitude of the flows they represent. For instance, a thin arrow may signify a flow of 100 units, whereas a wide arrow may signify 10,000 units.

2. Arrow Placement: Arrows should flow in a natural and logical direction, making it easy to discern the flow of materials, energy, or resources through a system.

3. Nodes and Boundaries: Nodes are points where multiple arrows converge or diverge. They represent transitions between different phases or states within the system. The boundaries define the system being analyzed.

4. Labeling: Clearly label the nodes and endpoints of the arrows to identify different components or stages of the process.

5. Consistency in Representation: Ensure that all components in the Sankey diagram are consistent, with symbols and colors representing the type or quality of the flow being depicted.

Tools for Creation

Sankey diagrams can be hand drawn, but the availability of specialized software has made the process much more efficient. popular tools for creating Sankey diagrams include:

• Adobe Illustrator: Offers advanced vector graphics capabilities for precise and scalable Sankey diagrams.
• Sankey Builder: A software specifically designed for creating Sankey diagrams that is user-friendly and provides accurate calculations.
• Tableau: A business intelligence application allowing for complex data visualization, including Sankey diagrams.
• Python Libraries: Libraries such as plotly and matplotlib offer Sankey diagrams, accessible via programming scripts.

Applications of Sankey Diagrams

Sankey diagrams have numerous applications across various fields:

Engineering and Energy Analysis

One of the quintessential uses is in engineering, where they effectively describe the conversion of energy from one form to another. They can depict the energy flow in manufacturing processes, energy systems, or even in the human body for metabolic analysis.

Environmental Impact Assessment

Environmental scientists use Sankey diagrams to illustrate the flow of materials and substances, such as pollutants, and to understand the potential impacts on ecosystems.

Economics and Financial Flow

They are also utilized in economics and finance to map out money, resources, and labor flow through complex processes or organizations.

Business Process Mapping

Sankey diagrams help in visualizing the flow of activities in a business process, aiding in identifying opportunities for improvement or cost savings.

Transport and Infrastructure

They can simulate the flow of traffic in urban planning, the routing of goods in supply chains, or the travel patterns of various transportation systems.

The Nuance of Flow Representation

When interpreting Sankey diagrams, it’s important to pay attention to the nuances:

• Efficiency Indicators: By comparing the widths of the arrows entering and exiting a process, we can gauge its efficiency in converting inputs into outputs.
• Resource Allocation: The chart helps allocate resources, highlighting where resources are being over or underutilized.
• Network Flows: They effectively illustrate complex network flows in terms of materials, energy, or information transfer.

Conclusion

The Sankey diagram is an artistic and precise method of depicting flow within systems. By following the ebb and flow of the chart’s ‘secret streams’ with our analytical gaze, we can discern patterns, inefficiencies, and potential improvements. As the art and science of data visualization continue to evolve, the Sankey chart remains a steadfast tool for decoding the complexities of our interconnected and ever-changing world.

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.