Flow Like Water: Crafting Creative Sankey Charts

Sankey diagrams, named after Captain Sankey, an engineer who worked for the British War Office during the early 1800s and introduced a new type of diagram to represent the losses of steam power along a railway, have evolved significantly from their historical roots into a powerful visualization tool in data visualization today. This article dives into the creation and applications of creative Sankey charts, exploring how these visual representations of data flow can enlighten, engage, and inform in myriad ways.

What is a Sankey Chart?

A Sankey chart is a flow diagram that illustrates the size and direction of the flows between entities, with the width of each flow (or link) proportional to the flow rate. They are valuable in a wide range of fields including energy production and consumption, environmental management, and financial sector auditing. Essentially, Sankey diagrams are a way to visualize energy, resources, information, pollutants, money, or another abstract “thing” flowing from a start point to an end point.

Creating a Sankey Chart

Creating a Sankey chart can be as simple or as complex as you need it to be, depending on the data and the visualization style you wish to achieve. Here’s a basic guide on creating your own Sankey chart:

Data Preparation: Gather your data and ensure it is organized in a way that each step of the flow can be clearly represented. Typically, this involves three columns: a start node, an end node, and the flow amount.
Dimensioning: Determine the width, space between nodes, and height of your Sankey chart. This can either be done manually or automatically based on the data flow.
Node Placement: Decide the location of your nodes. Often, this is done to the left and right edges initially, with subsequent nodes shifted to the center.
Link Width: The flow should be represented by links that are as thick as the amount of data flow in them. This is automated in most software tools.
Color Coding: Use colors to highlight different flows, indicating data types or processes. This not only makes the chart easier to read but also offers a hint about the data’s importance or characteristics.
Labels and Legends: Ensure your chart is self-explanatory by adding labels and a legend clearly indicating what each node, link, and color mean.

Applications of Creative Sankey Charts

Sankey charts are not just a tool for technical analysis or data visualization. They can also be creatively adapted to serve various purposes, including:

Storytelling: By integrating text with the visual flow, Sankey charts can tell stories about data, such as the journey of renewable energy sources into the electrical grid or the life cycle of a product.
Educational Purposes: Educators can use Sankey diagrams to demonstrate concepts such as energy transformation in a system or the flow of information through a marketing funnel.
Infographics and Reports: Sankey charts are a unique way to highlight the flows and patterns within your data, making reports more engaging and visually appealing for an audience.
Cultural Studies: Sankey diagrams have been used in studies of cultural flows, examining the movement of ideas, trends, and artifacts across regions.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a data analyst, an educator, an economist, or a storyteller, the potential applications of Sankey diagrams are limitless. By understanding how to visualize data flow, you can unlock new ways of looking at data, and craft creative and impactful visualizations that speak to audiences and inspire action. As you explore the possibilities of crafting creative Sankey charts, remember that the flow of your data is like water, taking on different shapes and forms, yet always revealing the underlying patterns of its journey.

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.