Description: A sunburst chart is a visualization that displays hierarchical data using concentric circles, where each ring represents a level in the hierarchy. This type of chart effectively illustrates the relationship between different categories and subcategories, making it easier to understand the structure of the data. At the center of the chart lies the main category, and as one moves outward, subcategories unfold in successive rings. Each segment of the ring can be colored or labeled to indicate the magnitude or value of each category, allowing for quick visual comparison. Sunburst charts are particularly useful for visualizing large volumes of hierarchical data, such as those found in various fields including biology, economics, or project management. Their intuitive and appealing design makes them a popular tool in presentations and data analysis, as they enable users to quickly grasp essential information and relationships between different elements. Additionally, their ability to display multiple levels of information in a single chart makes them ideal for highlighting patterns and trends that may not be evident in other types of visualizations.
History: The sunburst chart was first introduced by Ben Shneiderman in 1991 as part of his work in data visualization. Its design was inspired by the need to represent hierarchical data clearly and effectively, overcoming the limitations of other charts like dendrograms. Since its inception, it has evolved and adapted to various applications in data analysis, especially with the rise of interactive visualization in the digital age.
Uses: Sunburst charts are commonly used in the visualization of hierarchical data across various disciplines, such as biology to represent species classifications, in economics to show the structure of industrial sectors, and in project management to illustrate the relationship between tasks and subtasks. They are also useful in visualizing web navigation data, where they can display the relationships between different pages and sections of a website.
Examples: An example of a sunburst chart is its use in visualizing the structure of a website, where the center represents the main page and the outer rings represent the sections and subsections of the site. Another example is in the representation of sales data, where the chart can show product categories in the center and subcategories in the outer rings, allowing analysts to quickly identify which areas are generating the most revenue.
