Sankey charts are another form of visualization that you had overlooked but once you learn the power of it, you will find it indispensable. It is a powerful tool for presenting data in a way where it can be easily observed. It is an example of a network diagram, often used to display energy or material flows.
The Sankey chart was created in the early 19th century by the English engineer Matthew Henry Phineas Riall, who used his graphical representation for a paper on steam engines. The term “Sankey” was coined much later when the Irish economist Arthur L. Schlesinger used the same diagram type for illustrating flows of world food and beverage trades.
In essence, a Sankey diagram connects distinct blocks, where larger arrows represent larger flows of data from block to block. This representation allows you to easily visualize how energy or material moves through different systems, which can be very insightful for decision makers.
Importance of Sankey Charts
The importance of Sankey charts lies in their ability to communicate complex processes in a clear, easy-to-understand manner. Here are a few advantages of using Sankey diagrams:
Communication Efficiency
Sankey diagrams efficiently convey a complex system in a single glance. Their visual nature allows viewers to quickly grasp flow dynamics, whether it’s human networks, financial transactions, or energy transfers.
Improved Decision Making
By visualizing data flows, companies and organizations can make more informed decisions. It’s easier to spot bottlenecks, understand usage patterns, and determine the most impactful changes to improve the system’s efficiency.
Data-Driven Insights
Sankey charts help you dive deep into the data. They reveal the total volumes, flow directions, and efficiency of moving items from one place to another, offering unique insights that wouldn’t be clear from traditional data presentations.
Customization and Personalization
These charts can be designed to reflect specific colors, labels, and sizes, making them highly adaptable to your business needs. Each block and flow is customizable to reflect your data set’s unique characteristics.
Types of Sankey Charts
Sankey charts come in different varieties. Here are a few to help you choose the right style for your data:
Classic Sankey Diagram
The classic style is used for simple flows. Blocks are placed on top or below the arrows, and the size of the blocks corresponds with the volume in each flow.
Cascading Sankey Diagram
This is a type of Sankey chart that displays hierarchical data. The block’s size and position align with the depth of each block, making it useful for visualizing complex data in a structured manner.
Interactive Sankey Diagrams
In an interactive version, you can hover over blocks or arrows to see more detailed information about the data point. This enhances user engagement and improves data understanding.
Sankey Chart Variants
Horizontal Sankey Diagrams
As the name suggests, these diagrams lay out the blocks and flow lines horizontally. This style can be easier to read when there are many connecting points.
Vertical Sankey Diagrams
Similar to horizontal variants, vertical Sankey diagrams present the blocks and flow lines vertically. The direction of the flow goes either up or down.
Sankey Chart Applications
Sankey charts find application in various fields:
Energy Use and Efficiency
In the energy sector, Sankey charts help in understanding where energy flows in systems like power generation, distribution and consumption, showing where energy is lost or gained.
Environmental Flow Analysis
Environmental experts use Sankey diagrams to illustrate the flow of water, materials, or pollutants through various ecosystems, supporting decision-making in environmental management and conservation efforts.
Data Flow Insights
In IT, they are used to visualize data flow through networks or databases, helping organizations understand where data is generated, processed, and stored.
Financial Flows
In finance, Sankey charts provide insight into how finances flow within an organization, from income sources to expenses, or how funds move across different departments.
Manufacturing and Logistics
Production companies benefit from seeing supply chains in a Sankey diagram, making it easier to optimize inventory and track waste.
Education and Research
Educators and researchers use Sankey charts to visualize complex processes such as scientific workflows or educational pathways.
Creating Your First Sankey Chart
Creating a Sankey chart might seem daunting, but with the right tools like D3.js, Tableau, matplotlib, Plotly, or Sankeyviz, you can easily construct one for your specific data set.
Choose Your Tool
Pick a data visualization library or software that best integrates with your project’s existing tools and languages. D3.js is great for custom designs, Tableau for quick prototyping, matplotlib for Python users, Plotly for interactive web-based charts, and Sankeyviz for straightforward Sankey diagrams.
Prepare Your Data
Clean and structure your data correctly. You’ll need information about sources and targets, the size of the flow, and sometimes an identifier for each data point.
Design Your Chart
Plan the layout of your blocks and flows. Pay attention to balancing colors, ensuring that the largest flows stand out, and making sure text labels are readable.
Implement and Customize
Use the selected tool’s API to create the Sankey diagram based on your data. Customize colors, sizes, labels, and tooltips to enhance the visual representation according to your data characteristics and audience preferences.
Review and Iterate
Test your Sankey chart with different stakeholders to ensure it’s clear and effectively communicates your message. Iterate by refining the design until it meets your requirements and enhances data understanding.
Conclusion
Sankey charts offer an unparalleled ability to visualize complex multistep processes in a clear and accessible way. By understanding their benefits and customizing your Sankey charts accordingly, you can unleash your data’s potential, leading to more informed decision-making and insightful analysis in various industries. When done right, this type of chart can transform raw data into powerful stories that captivate your audience, making it an essential tool for any data-driven organization looking to unlock the full potential of their data repositories.
SankeyMaster
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