Sankey charts are a type of flowchart used to visualize the flow of a particular process. These charts are often used in conjunction with the Sankey Map software to create detailed visualizations. Sankey charts are often used in engineering, finance, science, and other fields to visualize complex data. In this article, we will explore the creation and applications of sankey charts, and provide a visual guide to help you create one easily.
Paint The Town Green: A Visual Guide to Sankey Charts Part 1: Introduction
A Sankey Chart is a visual representation of the flow of information or data through a network of nodes and links. The main nodes represent the sources or destinations of the data flow, while the links represent the channels or paths that the data takes to move through the network.
Sankey charts are often used to show how a particular process is moving through a network of nodes, such as the flow of information or data through a company’s supply chain. These visualizations can be used to track the flow of data, money, or other resources as they traverse through different stages of a process.
Creating a Sankey Chart can be a simple process, but its complexity can vary depending on the specific data to be visualized and the purpose of the chart. In this guide, we will discuss some of the key steps involved in creating a sankey chart and provide some tips that will help you create stunning visuals of your data.
Part 2: Creating Sankey Charts
Sankey charts can be created using various software tools, such as Flow Diagram software, Tableau, or Excel. In this section, we will discuss how to create a sankey chart in Microsoft Excel.
Step 1: Import your data
The first step in creating a sankey chart in Microsoft Excel is to import your data into the Excel spreadsheet. This data can come in a number of different formats, such as a CSV file or an Excel spreadsheet.
Step 2: Select the data to be included in the chart
Next, you need to select the data that you want to include in your sankey chart. This can be done by right-clicking on the data that you want to include and selecting “import” from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: Create your Sankey Chart
Once you have uploaded your data, you need to create your sankey chart. This can be done in two ways:
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With the Sankey Map software. This software will automatically create your sankey chart, making it easy to visualize the flow of your data.
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With Microsoft Excel. In this step, you can manually create your sankey chart using the following Excel formula:
=IFERROR(MIN(IF(ABS(INDEX(COLUMNS(DISTINCT(A:A)).ROW(A:A)-INT(((ROW(DISTINCT(B:B)))-1)/4))))[1],SUM(A1:A),IF(MIN(IF(ABS(INDEX(DISTINCT(C:C)).ROW(C:C)-INT(((ROW(DISTINCT(B:B)))-1)/4))))[1],SUM(B1:B),SUM(A1:A))),SUM(IF((COL(C)<>MIN(C2:C)+1),A2:A,"")))
This formula will calculate the average distance between the nodes and the flow of the data will be displayed as a bar chart.
Part 3: Visualizing Your Sankey Chart
Once your sankey chart is created, you can start adding visual elements to it. This can include color-coding the nodes, adding labels to the nodes and links, and adding annotations to the data.
For example, if you have two sources of data, you can add different colors to each node to indicate the source of the data. Similarly, you can add the name of the nodes and links to help the viewer understand the flow of the data.
Part 4: Applications of Sankey Charts
Sankey charts can be applied to a wide range of fields, from engineering and finance to science and medicine. Here are some examples of how Sankey charts have been used in these fields:
- Engineering: Sankey charts can be used to analyze the flow of information or data through a project, making it easier to track the progress of the project and identify any bottlenecks.
- Finance: Sankey charts are often used in financial analysis to show the flow of money through a company’s supply chain, making it easier to track the profitability of different sources or destinations.
- Science: Sankey charts can be used to visualize the flow of chemical reactions or the flow of genes through a biological system, making it easier to understand the underlying processes and identify potential bottlenecks.
Conclusion
Sankey charts can be a powerful tool for visualizing the flow of information or data through a network of nodes and links. They are often used in various fields, from engineering and finance to science and medicine. By creating your sankey chart in Excel and adding some visual elements, you can create stunning and informative sankey visualizations.
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