Sankey charts are a powerful tool in data visualization that can help you understand complex data relationships. These charts are useful in a variety of applications, from finance to sociology, and beyond. In this article, we’ll explore the power of Sankey charts and how to use them to analyze your data.

Introduction to Sankey Charts

A Sankey chart is a type of visualization that uses a series of “deltas” to show relationships between different entities. The chart consists of a central axis with the deltas and arrows pointing outwards from the axis. The main advantage of Sankey charts is that they can be a useful tool if you have a complex data set with many interdependent relationships.

Creating a Sankey Chart

Creating a Sankey chart is relatively easy to do. All you need to do is decide on the entities you want to visualize (think of them as “nodes”) and then create the arcs between them. This is where you need to decide how you want to represent the relationships between the entities. For example, if one entity is a supplier to another, you could create an arc from the supplier to the customer, and then from the customer back to the supplier.

An example Sankey chart:

Supplier
A – B
C – D
E – F
G – H

In this example, Supplier A and Supplier B are connected by arc A and C and D are connected by arc C, and so on. The supplier is also related to the customer with arc B and the customer is related to the supplier with arc D. This illustrates a simple supply chain relationship where the supplier B supplies a customer D and the customer D supplies another customer E.

Applications of Sankey Charts

Sankey charts can be used in a wide range of applications besides finance and sociology. For example, they can be useful for explaining the energy flow in an oil pipeline, or for explaining the circulation of nutrients in a plant. They can also be used for showing the relationships between different regions of a country such as urban, rural, and industrial areas.

Visualization Techniques using Sankey Charts

To create an effective Sankey chart, you need to be aware of your audience and the information you want them to take away from the chart. For example, if your audience is finance analysts, you might want to include the exact numbers of units or value of transactions. If your audience is policy makers, you might want to include the number of units or the total value of transactions in comparison to another country. Also, Sankey charts can be used for data visualizations which can be helpful for understanding relationships in a dataset.

Conclusion

Sankey charts are a versatile tool that can help you understand complex data relationships. They can be used in a wide range of applications, such as finance, sociology, and policy making. To create an effective Sankey chart, you need to be aware of your audience and the information you want them to take away from the chart. With the right use of these charts, you can transform your data into something that is easier and more effective to understand.

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