A directed chord diagram extends the standard chord diagram by adding directionality. Ribbons taper from thick (source) to thin (target) to show the direction of flow between nodes arranged in a circle, making it clear where resources originate and where they end up.
Space Junk Migration — Where Debris Drifts Between Orbits
Best for
- Showing directional flows between entities (exports, migration, referrals)
- Highlighting asymmetric relationships where direction matters
- Displaying complex network connections in a compact circular layout
Avoid when
- Direction doesn't matter — use a regular chord diagram
- You have too many nodes (>10) — ribbons become unreadable
- Exact quantities are more important than patterns — use a Sankey or table