Sankey Diagram
Updated 2026-08-13
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
A Sankey diagram represents flows between nodes as bands whose width is proportional to the quantity transferred, so that splitting and merging are visible in the geometry. The core proposition is that many systems are defined by movement rather than by state, and that budgets, energy, and user populations are understood faster when the flow itself is drawn to scale. The key qualification is that the diagram depends on conservation: inflows must equal outflows, and violating that silently misrepresents the system.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Flow inventory: list the sources, sinks, and intermediate nodes that the quantity passes through. - Width mapping: scale each band to the quantity so that size differences are read directly. - Conservation check: verify that the inflow at each node equals the outflow before publishing.
Anchor fast decisions
Encoding quantity as width lets a reader compare magnitudes without reading numbers, which makes the dominant path obvious immediately. Because the bands connect physically, the reader can trace a single unit from source to sink and see where it is diverted. The layout therefore exposes loss points and bottlenecks that a table of totals conceals.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankey_diagramverified
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