To investigate the question “What is the relationship between spontaneous moments of play and my emotional state throughout the day?”, I created a Sankey diagram as the primary form of data visualization. This format was chosen for its ability to clearly illustrate the flow and interconnectedness between multiple variables: day of the week, type of play activity, play personality, planned vs. spontaneous play, and emotional state after play. The Sankey diagram format not only allowed for layered storytelling, but also emphasized movement and transition, echoing the idea that play is not static but a fluid and dynamic part of everyday life.
Each line flowing through the diagram represents a distinct play activity, color-coded by its dominant play personality (e.g., Explorer, Director, Storyteller). The lines begin at the day of the week, travel through the play type, split into planned or spontaneous, and finally arrive at the resulting emotional state. By mapping this data, I aimed to visualize the relationship between unstructured, spontaneous play and positive emotional shifts. The diagram reveals that moments of spontaneous play—especially those rooted in creativity and exploration—tended to be associated with improved emotional states, such as feeling “energized,” “calm,” or “connected.”
