The Art of Flow: Discovering the Hidden Dynamics with Sankey Charts
In an increasingly interconnected world, the ability to visualize and understand complex systems is more crucial than ever. Sankey diagrams, also known as Sankey charts or Sankey diagrams, offer an effective way to represent the flow of energy, material, and cost through a process, making it an invaluable tool in many fields, from environmental engineering to finance and logistics. This article delves into the art and science of Sankey chart creation and their numerous applications.
What is a Sankey Chart?
At their core, Sankey charts are flow diagrams that illustrate the quantitative relationships between two different sets of Sankey chart attributes: entities (like material, energy, or people) and processes. Each entity’s movement through the processes is depicted as an arrow of varying width, which conveys the quantity transported or the heat or electricity generated.
Each arrow in a Sankey diagram is a vector with two dimensions: a thickness that indicates the magnitude of the flow, and a length that visually communicates the change in position or stage of the process.
The unique flow-centric nature of Sankey diagrams allows viewers to grasp the flow of resources or materials between entities and processes in a process or system, which is essential for identifying inefficiencies or areas for energy reduction or resource conservation.
The Art of Sankey Chart Creation
Creating an effective Sankey diagram is an art that combines data visualization skills with an understanding of the system being analyzed. Here are the key steps:
1. Data Collection
The process begins with collecting all necessary data. Sankey diagrams are most useful when dealing with discrete or continuous data points that indicate the movement of an entity through various stages of a process.
2. Selection of Software
Next, you’ll need to choose the right software to create the Sankey chart. Popular tools include SankeyWriter, Gephi, and custom libraries like d3.js for web-based applications.
3. Data Structure and Arrangement
Once the data is collected, organize it in a hierarchical or sequential manner that reflects the actual flow of entities through processes. This arrangement often requires some creativity in determining the best way to depict the system’s complexity.
4. Scaling and Design
Choose appropriate scales and formatting for each element in your Sankey diagram. Be mindful of the visual hierarchy by using different colors for different entities or processes and varying the line weights to represent the flow magnitude.
5. Final Touches
In the final stages of creation, pay attention to the chart’s readability. This includes adding labels, Legends, and sufficient margin to avoid overcrowding. You should also consider whether the Sankey diagram is best in black and white or in full color, ensuring that the end product meets the complexity of the data and the intended audience.
Applications of Sankey Charts
Sankey charts have a wide range of applications across various fields. Here are some prominent examples:
1. Energy Systems Analysis
Energy diagrams can illustrate the flow of energy from point to point or from a single system to another. They are crucial in determining the most efficient paths within an energy supply chain and can inform both policy and technological decisions.
2. Environmental Impact Assessment
By showing the flow of substances such as chemicals, materials, or water through a process, Sankey charts help in identifying sources of pollution, reducing waste, and ensuring regulatory compliance.
3. Logistics and Supply Chain Analytics
Analyzing and visualizing the flow of goods, funds, and services across a supply chain can help businesses identify inefficiencies, reduce costs, and speed up operations.
4. Financial Flow Visualization
Institute-level, company-wide, or even global financial flows can be represented using Sankey charts. This helps in auditing financial systems, tracking the flow of funds, and understanding economic relationships.
5. Traffic and Transportation Studies
Traffic patterns, vehicle flows, and transportation modes can be visualized using Sankey diagrams to facilitate infrastructure planning and to understand the movements and bottlenecks in transportation networks.
Conclusion
The Sankey diagram is a versatile and powerful tool for visualizing complex systems. Its ability to represent the flow of entities through different processes in a clear, concise way helps decision-makers navigate the complexity of real-world systems. With a careful approach to data, software, and design, Sankey charts can bring significant insights to a wide array of applications across multiple disciplines. The art of using Sankey charts lies in the ability to turn complex data into a clear and informative visual representation that can lead to better-informed decisions and practices.
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.
