Rings of Discovery: Navigating Complex Data Through Tableau Sunburst Charts

“You can have data without information, but you cannot have information without data.” — Daniel Keys Moran

Sunburst Chart:

A circular data visualization technique that represents hierarchical data using a series of nested rings. Each ring corresponds to a level in the hierarchy, with the innermost circle representing the highest level and outer rings showing lower levels or subcategories.

Key features of sunburst charts include:

1. Hierarchical display: Shows parent-child relationships clearly.

2. Space efficiency: Compact way to display multiple levels of data.

3. Size representation: Segment sizes often reflect the value or importance of data points.

4. Color coding: Used to distinguish categories or show data variations.

5. Interactive capabilities: Often allows users to zoom in on segments for more detail.

6. Radial layout: Data is arranged in a circular pattern, expanding outward.

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Sunburst charts are particularly useful for:

• Displaying file and folder structures.

• Showing budget allocations across departments and sub-departments.

• Visualizing hierarchical website traffic data.

• Representing organizational structures.

They’re effective for revealing patterns and proportions within complex, multi-level data structures. However, they can become difficult to read if there are too many levels or segments.

Steps to create a sunburst chart in Tableau:

1. Data Preparation:

Ensure your data has a hierarchical structure.

Each level of the hierarchy should be in a separate column.

2. Open Tableau:

Connect to your data source.

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3. Create a new worksheet.

4. Create a Calculated Field:

Create a calculated field called Center with the formula MAKEPOINT(0,0). This will be used to center your chart.

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5. Build the Inner Layer:

• Drag the Center field to the Detail shelf.

• Change the mark type to Pie.

• Add the first level of your hierarchy (e.g., Category) to the Color shelf.

• Add a measure (e.g., Sales) to the Angle shelf.

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6. Add Additional Layers:

• Duplicate the Center field to create additional layers for each level of your hierarchy.

• For each layer, change the mark type to Pie.

• Add the next level of your hierarchy (e.g., Subcategory) to the Color shelf.

• Add the same measure (e.g., Sales) to the Angle shelf.

• Adjust the size of each layer to create the sunburst effect.

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7. Adjust the shape:

• Click on the Size button in the Marks card.

• Increase the size to expand the chart.

8. Format the Chart:

• Adjust the colors and sizes to differentiate between the layers.

• Add labels if necessary to make the chart more informative.
  

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9. Make it interactive (optional):

• Add actions or filters to allow users to drill down into specific segments.

10. Refine and test:

• Adjust sizes, colors, and labels for clarity.

• Test the chart to ensure its conveying information effectively.

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“Data is a tool for enhancing intuition.” — Hilary Mason

Practical Examples of Sunburst Charts:

1. Sales Breakdown by Region, Product Category, and Product

A sunburst chart can effectively visualize sales data across multiple levels. The innermost ring could represent regions, the middle ring product categories, and the outer ring individual products.

2. Organization Structure

Sunburst charts are excellent for displaying organizational hierarchies. The center could represent the CEO, with subsequent rings showing different levels of management and departments.

3. File System Visualization

For IT professionals, a sunburst chart can be useful in visualizing disk usage. The innermost ring could represent main directories, with outer rings showing subdirectories and files.

Tips for Effective Sunburst Charts:

1. Limit the number of levels: Too many levels can make the chart difficult to read.

2. Use color effectively: Choose a color scheme that helps distinguish between different categories.

3. Implement interactivity: Tableau allows you to add tooltips and click-through actions to provide more detailed information.

4. Consider using labels: For the outermost ring, labels can help identify specific categories.

Sunburst charts in Tableau offer a visually appealing and informative way to represent hierarchical data. By following the steps outlined in this post and considering the practical examples, you can create compelling visualizations that provide deep insights into your data structure.