Flowing Data: A Visual Guide to Sankey Charts and Their Wonderful World
Sankey diagrams are a powerful tool in the visualization of flows, connections, and transitions, making complex data sets accessible and understandable to a wide audience. These charts are named after Mark Jason Sankey, an engineer who worked in the nuclear power industry and used flow diagrams to understand how fuel was consumed during the operation of a nuclear reactor. Today, Sankey diagrams are used across a broad spectrum of fields, including environmental studies, economics, and engineering. In this article, we’ll dive deep into understanding how to create Sankey diagrams, explore their applications in various industries, and discover the secrets to making them compelling and informative visual aids.
Understanding Sankey Diagrams
A Sankey diagram visually represents flows between connected information entities. Each series of connected arrows represents a flow — the width of the arrows corresponds to the volume of the flow, making it easy to grasp the relative magnitudes at a glance. These diagrams are particularly useful for showing distributions of data and the paths data objects take through a system.
Creating Your Own Sankey Diagram
Creating a Sankey diagram involves several steps:
1. Selecting Data
First, you need data that describes the flows you want to visualize. This data typically includes the quantity, source, and destination of each flow.
2. Organizing the Data
Organize your data so that it flows logically from one step to the next. This might involve sorting or aggregating data to ensure that flows make sense in the context of the visual.
3. Designing the Diagram
Decide on the layout, including which data series will be represented by which colors or patterns. This is where understanding your audience and the story you want to tell becomes crucial.
4. Using Software
Select a software or platform that can create custom Sankey diagrams, such as Tableau, D3.js, or Python’s matplotlib. Tools like these provide the ability to customize colors, fonts, and the orientation of the graph.
5. Testing and Refining
After creating the initial chart, test it with your target audience to see if it effectively communicates the intended message. Refine the design based on feedback.
Applications of Sankey Diagrams
Energy Flow Analysis
Sankey diagrams are commonly used in energy studies to visualize energy flows, such as production, conversion, and consumption of fuels over time.
Supply Chains
These diagrams are invaluable in assessing a company’s supply chain, showing material flows and costs on a visual level.
Financial Flows
Sankey diagrams are used to analyze the flows of assets between different sectors, such as the flow of money from investment to retirement.
Water Use
In environmental studies, Sankey diagrams show the flow of water through different systems, making complex treatment and flow processes transparent.
Social Media Data
Analyzing the movement of information or users within social media platforms can be visualized using Sankey diagrams.
Wrapping Up
Sankey diagrams are a versatile and captivating way to visualize complex data flows. By understanding how to create these diagrams and knowing their wide range of applications, you can transform seemingly overwhelming data into clear and compelling visual stories. Whether you’re interested in energy sustainability, complex supply chains, or social media trends, Sankey diagrams are a powerful tool to explore and understand data in new ways. As technology evolves, so too will the possibilities of what we can visualize and communicate. With a little creativity and the right tools, the world of Sankey diagrams can open up a whole new dimension of understanding and exploration.
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.
