Sankey charts are a popular and powerful data visualization tool that helps in understanding complex flows, such as material, energy, or information movement through various stages. Created by John V. Sankey in 1898, Sankey diagrams have evolved significantly over the years, becoming an essential tool for businesses, governments, and organizations worldwide. This article aims to unravel the art of telling stories with Sankey charts through their creation and applications.

Creating Sankey Charts

1. Choosing the Right Data: A Sankey chart is used to visualize how data transitions between different categories or nodes. To start, you need a clear understanding of the flow you wish to visualize. Data should be collected meticulously to ensure accuracy. Common sources of this data include surveys, processes logs, and flow analyses.

2. Identifying the Components: Every Sankey diagram has nodes and edges. Nodes represent different categories in the flow, and edges are the connections or flows between these categories. Each edge has a property called “mass” to represent the volume of data or material passing through it in a specific direction. It’s crucial to distinguish between input and output categories, as edges entering a node represent the incoming flow, while edges exiting a node signify the outgoing flow.

3. Creating the Design: Many tools are available for designing Sankey diagrams. Options range from specialized software like Gephi, which is highly customizable but advanced, to user-friendly tools like Canva, which offer simpler interfaces and a variety of templates specifically for Sankey diagrams. Key features to consider include edge thickness (to represent the magnitude of flow), edge shape (straight or more stylized), and color (to differentiate between types of flows or categories). Labeling is vital in keeping the chart comprehensible to the audience.

4. Reviewing and Refining: Once your Sankey diagram is created, review it to ensure readability and clarity. Adjustments might be necessary, such as reorganizing the nodes or edges, adjusting edge thickness, or changing colors and labels to improve the diagram’s visual impact and clarity. This stage is also crucial for removing any extraneous data that might complicate the diagram unnecessarily.

Applications of Sankey Charts

1. Energy Consumption: Businesses and governments often use Sankey diagrams to visualize energy consumption across different systems or sectors. By categorizing energy sources (e.g., electricity, fossil fuels, and renewable energy) and applications (e.g., heating, cooling, lighting), Sankey charts can clearly demonstrate where energy is being used, how it moves through the system, and thus help identify areas for efficiency improvements.

2. Supply Chain Analysis: In logistics and manufacturing, Sankey diagrams can illustrate the flow of materials and products through the supply chain. This visualization aids in identifying bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for optimization. It can also be used to show the lifecycle of products, including production, consumption, and disposal, highlighting environmental impacts and areas for sustainability improvements.

3. Internet Traffic Analysis: Sankey charts can depict the flow of data between different websites, applications, or servers, revealing patterns of user navigation, popular content, and network traffic distribution. This information is crucial for optimizing web infrastructure, content management, and user experience design.

4. Economic Flows: In regional or global economic studies, Sankey diagrams can show the circulation of goods, services, and capital between trading partners or different sectors. This analysis illuminates the economic interdependencies, highlighting the role of specific industries or regions in overall economic activity and potential areas for cooperation or intervention.

Conclusion

The art of telling stories with Sankey charts lies in effectively presenting complex flows through clear, concise, and compelling visual representation. By mastering the creation process and understanding the nuances of Sankey diagram design, data analysts and decision-makers can unlock insights and communicate critical information in a compelling way. Whether exploring the intricacies of energy systems, optimizing supply chains, analyzing internet traffic, or exploring economic interactions, Sankey charts offer a versatile and powerful tool for visualizing and comprehending flows across various domains.

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