1. 10/9/2016 Creating a Streamgraph in Microsoft Excel 2016
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Creating a Streamgraph in Microsoft Excel 2016
By Shalin HaiJew, Kansas State University
Streamgraphs were first popularized in February 23, 2008 with an image created by Lee Byron in The New York Times in a
visualization titled “The Ebb and Flow of Movies: Box Office Receipts 1986 – 2008”. In Wikipedia, these 2D visualizations
are described as “a type of stacked area graph which is displaced around a central axis, resulting in a flowing, organic shape”
(“Streamgraph,” Mar. 24, 2016)
Figure 1: A Streamgraph Created with Faux Data Using the Microsoft Excel Streamgraph Addin
Basically, a streamgraph contains data over time, with time represented on the xaxis and with related variables represented
on the yaxis. Streamgraphs are read at the macro level as changes over time based on a particular target phenomenon
(represented by the variables); they are read at the micro level in terms of individual variable changes over time and
interaction effects between the individual variables over time. The directionality may change for various streamgraphs
(with streaming in different directions). The sizes and colors and shapes of the respective streams may contain information
as well as the data labels.
Most streamgraphs are noninteractive and nondynamic (although some webbased ones may be interactive and dynamic).
A Free Microsoft Excel Addin
In 2015, some developers at Microsoft Research created a free Microsoft Excel addin (to both 2013 and 2016 versions of
the software) that enables the easy creation of streamgraphs in Excel. The plugin is accessible through the Microsoft Office
Store.
This article introduces the addin and provides some examples created both with synthetic data and realworld opensource
data. Figure 1 (above) shows a streamgraph created with madeup data; the toolbar panel of the streamgraph is visible in
this image.
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A Streamgraph Created with Faux Data Using the Microsoft Excel Streamgraph Annotations
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Previous page on path Cover, page 2 of 4 Next page on path
Sparser data, with some zeroes, will result in more dramatic views, such as with crossover of some of the lines. Using
negative cell values can also result in dramatic and swooping lines. Sometimes, running fewer years can also result in some
eyecatching visuals.
About the Author
Shalin HaiJew works as an instructional designer at Kansas State University. She may be reached at shalin@kstate.edu.
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streamgraph Data.gov