What is a Sankey Diagram?

A Sankey diagram is a type of flow diagram where the width of arrows or flows is proportional to the flow quantity. It's particularly effective for showing how quantities move from one state to another, such as energy flows, budget allocations, or user journeys.

When to use Sankey Diagrams?

Sankey diagrams are ideal for visualizing budget breakdowns, energy or material flows, website user journeys, conversion funnels, or any process where you need to show how quantities move through different stages or categories.

When might Sankey Diagrams be complex?

Sankey diagrams can become cluttered with too many nodes or flows, may be confusing for audiences unfamiliar with the format, and can be challenging to create without specialized tools.

What is the importance of Sankey Diagrams in Visualization?

Sankey diagrams uniquely show both the structure of a process and the magnitude of flows within it, making them invaluable for understanding complex systems and identifying bottlenecks or inefficiencies.