/categories/data-visualization/ Recent content in Data Visualization on Kailas Venkitasubramanian Hugo en Tue, 08 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 /blog/posts/2025-07-08-beautiful-chord-diagrams-with-flourish/ Tue, 08 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 /blog/posts/2025-07-08-beautiful-chord-diagrams-with-flourish/ <img src="chord.png" alt="" width="512" /> <p>There’s a moment in data visualization where a chart stops being a chart and becomes a conversation starter. Chord diagrams do that reliably. Whenever I’ve dropped one into a presentation or a report, someone in the room leans forward. They want to trace the lines. They want to understand what connects to what. That reaction is exactly why I keep coming back to them.</p> <h2 id="what-is-a-chord-diagram">What Is a Chord Diagram? <a href="#what-is-a-chord-diagram"><svg class="anchor-symbol" aria-hidden="true" height="26" width="26" viewBox="0 0 22 22" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M0 0h24v24H0z" fill="currentColor"></path> <path d="M3.9 12c0-1.71 1.39-3.1 3.1-3.1h4V7H7c-2.76.0-5 2.24-5 5s2.24 5 5 5h4v-1.9H7c-1.71.0-3.1-1.39-3.1-3.1zM8 13h8v-2H8v2zm9-6h-4v1.9h4c1.71.0 3.1 1.39 3.1 3.1s-1.39 3.1-3.1 3.1h-4V17h4c2.76.0 5-2.24 5-5s-2.24-5-5-5z"></path> </svg></a> </h2> <p>A chord diagram is a circular visualization that shows relationships between entities. Imagine a circle divided into arcs — each arc represents a category or group. Ribbons stretch between arcs, connecting them. The width of each ribbon encodes the magnitude of the relationship: a thick ribbon means a strong or frequent connection; a thin one means the opposite.</p>