A visualization of a set of related data items is accomplished by ranking a plurality of secondary data items with respect to their relationship to a principal data item. The set of related data items may be stored in any form, including, for example, as a relational database, an object database, or an XML document. The related items display names can be formatted and ranked according to the properties of the item, so as to avoid duplication and information overload for the user. The ranked data can be displayed along curved segments in a graphical chart, so as to allow convenient visualization of the data and the data's relationship to the principal item that may be prominently displayed at the center of the chart.