Sankey charts are a popular data visualization technique used by scientists, engineers, and analysts to illustrate complex flow relationships between different components, processes, or events. These charts are particularly useful for projects involving large sets of data, such as financial models, research studies, or project management. In this article, we will discuss how to create a Sankey chart and its applications in detail.
What is a Sankey Chart?
Sankey charts, also known as bubble links or dual bar charts, are a type of diagram that connects groups with solid bars. Each bar represents a group of subjects, while the thickness of each bar shows the quantity of a particular topic within that group. The links between the bars indicate connections between the subjects and these connections are assigned weights.
In this way, Sankey charts can be applied in a variety of fields:
-
Finance: It can be used to depict the financial relationships between different accounts and the flow of money. For example, a Sankey chart can show the inflow and outflow of cash between different accounts in an investment or bank account.
-
Psychology: It can be used to explore how different types of stimuli influence behavior, such as the way emotions affect decision-making. In this case, Sankey charts can show the relationships between different stimuli and their effects on behavior.
-
Healthcare: It can be used to explore the connections among diseases, their spread, and the effects on people’s health. For example, a Sankey chart can show the flow of information between different diseases, their consequences, and the actions that medical researchers can take to reduce the spread of the diseases.
How to Create a Sankey Chart?
Creating a Sankey chart involves several steps:
-
Identify the data and understand the relationships between it: After collecting the data, organize it in a way that helps you to identify the relationships between different parts of your data. For example, in the example above, you would need to identify the different accounts in the financial model, the inflows and outflows of cash, the emotions and their effects on behavior, and the different diseases and their consequences.
-
Calculate the weight of each bar: The weight of each bar represents the quantity of a particular topic within that group. In the previous example, you would assign a weight of 100, 50, 30, and 20 to each account in the financial model, respectively.
-
Create the skeleton of the Sankey chart: The skeleton of the Sankey chart consists of four bars: one for each category of the data, a bar for the connections between categories, and two bars for the weights. You need to draw links between the bars and assign weights in each category.
-
Customize the chart: Sankey charts can be customized in many ways, such as rearranging the bars, adding or removing links, or changing the color of the bars and links. You can also add labels or annotations to the chart to help you identify the relationships between the data.
Applications
The most common application of Sankey charts is in finance, as it helps to visualize the relationships between different accounts and the flow of money. However, they can also be used in other fields such as psychology, healthcare, and engineering. In psychology, they can be used to explore the relationships between different stimuli and their consequences on behavior. In healthcare, they can be used to show the flow of information between different diseases and their effects on people’s health. In engineering, they can be used to visualize the connections among different system components and the flow of information between them.
Conclusion
Sankey charts are a powerful data visualization technique that can help you visualize complex flow relationships between different topics or events. By organizing your data in a way that helps you to identify the relationships between the data, you can create a Sankey chart that accurately represents the data, and helps you to understand it in a way that is easy to comprehend. These charts can be used in many fields and can be customized to suit your needs. So, if you’re working on a project that involves large sets of data, you might want to consider creating a Sankey chart to help you understand it better.
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.
