Sankey charts are a powerful visualization tool that allows you to represent flows and connections between different entities. They are named after the Scottish engineer and inventor Matthew Henry Phineas Riall “Sankey” who developed this type of chart in the late 19th century. Since then, Sankey charts have been used in various fields, including engineering, economics, environmental science, and social sciences.
In this article, we will explore the power of Sankey charts and how they can help you visualize flows and connections like never before. We will also discuss how to create Sankey charts using popular data visualization tools such as Tableau, Power BI, or D3.js.
Understanding Flows and Connections
A Sankey chart is essentially a flow diagram that shows the transfer of quantities between different nodes or entities. Each node represents an entity that participates in the flow process. The width of each arrow or “link” between nodes indicates the magnitude of flow between them. This makes it easy to see which entities have a high volume of interactions or transactions.
The power of Sankey charts lies in their ability to reveal patterns and trends in complex data sets that would be difficult to discern using traditional static visualizations like tables or bar graphs. By visualizing flows as dynamic connections rather than static elements on a page, you can easily identify major contributors to overall system behavior.
Creating Your First Sankey Chart
To create a basic Sankey chart using Tableau (which offers extensive support for this type of visualization), follow these steps:
- Prepare your data: Ensure your dataset includes information about sources (input nodes), destinations (output nodes), volumes/weights associated with each connection/link between source & destination nodes.
- Connect Tableau: Import your dataset into Tableau by clicking ‘Connect’ at the top left corner then selecting ‘From Data Source’ -> choose ‘File’ -> click ‘Select File’ -> navigate & select your Excel file -> click ‘Open’.
- Drag dimensions & measures onto canvas: On the right-hand side under Data pane section (‘Data’) click on drag-and-drop dimension fields under Categories e.g., Node names for Source Category / Destination Category) alongside Weight field from Measures category onto Columns shelf & Rows Shelf respectively; make sure Values/Sums checkbox is ticked so all data points get displayed accurately
4.Visualize network structure: Click-and-drag weight/sales/cost/whatever-your-data-represents metric(s) into Size parameter zone under Marks panel so thickness changes proportionately with value sizes
5.Setting up labels/text: You might want additional info showing eg arrows labels connecting src->dest points might contain more detail like % contribution per link etc depending on specifics available within your database – use Tooltip button from Marks panel for custom tips upon hover effect appearance customization options abound here too
Key Benefits:
– Easy Interpretation: The visual nature allows quick comprehension even for complex systems.
– Highlighting Trends: Emphasizes dominant routes or hotspots contributing significantly towards total throughput at first glance
– Enables Comparison: Visual comparison across different periods enables spotting changes over time quickly.
– Flexibility: With tools supporting HTML5 Canvas rendering (like D3.js), embedding real-time data feeds directly into web pages without requiring users to download heavy software packages becomes feasible – extremely useful for real-time monitoring applications where dashboard visibility matters most
Applications Across Industries:
Sankeys find applications across various industries due to their versatility in representing diverse phenomena:
– Energy Systems Analysis: Model electricity distribution networks showing energy consumption levels amongst geographical areas/departments/business units
– Transportation Logistics: Map out delivery routes highlighting freight movements via land/ocean/air modes between continents/countries/states
– Economic Indicators: Analyze economic flows such as international trade patterns highlighting country-to-country commerce volumes affecting GDP calculations
– Internet Traffic Visualization: Monitor internet traffic inflow/outflow within servers/databases/distributed computing clouds facilitating better resource allocation management strategies
In conclusion, incorporating sankeys into your analytical toolkit opens doors towards more insightful explorations tailored towards unique datasets thus potentially uncovering key insights previously unseen through conventional methods only enhancing decision-making processes exponentially!
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.
