Diagrams Mean Nothing
Most technical blog articles have diagrams, charts, flowcharts, etc. And again, in most cases, these all don’t make any sense. I mean sense for readers. Such schemes and graphics notes are very helpful for writers to arrange their thoughts while creating an article.
For example this illustration: if you haven't read the text, you’ll never understand what all this is about. Actually, this mess could be described just by one sentence: “The data of single stripe was damaged on several disks at the same time”.
Good Words Worth Thousand Rects
If you have enough talent and time to write a simple and clear text, you won’t need a single piece of diagram then. If you don’t, try at least to use it better.
No one can neither read nor understand block diagrams. Every time someone uses it, he spends tons of words to make it clear. And at the end, you don’t remember what was in the beginning. One can easily omit block diagrams by describing a few critical points of the flow.
Use complex and abstract schemes when you are 100% sure your readers know the base and conventions. If so, then diagrams and charts become meaningful and you can use their strength at full capacity. Here we dive a bit into some of the key points to improve your diagrams.
First is a Second Dimension
Maybe Feynman Diagrams are most extensive and dense in the sense of represented information and knowledge.
Actually these diagrams describe four dimensions. By the horizontal axis here’s time and all of our 3D world is represented in the vertical axis. And it remains true in reverse directions, so it can be read back in time too (and it does). Hence Feynman Diagrams reveal a huge amount of information in a very elegant and ascetic manner. Each symbol, element, and shape has its particular meaning.
And last but not least is using of text. Text appears as much as it needs to mark key points. No legend, no coordinates, no terms. This is the first sign your diagram is on its way to being perfect.
Flowcharts use both directions as well. But in contrast with Feynman Diagrams, Flowcharts use inconsistent way: in some part time is on the horizontal axis, in some not.
Much easier is to read the outline itself instead of the chart representing it. So, don’t hesitate to just write down a list. The advantage of a list is that it has one dimension hence it would be much clearer (if it’s not too long).
Second is a Third Dimension
A flat image has its own z-depth. It could be emulated by shadows, focus-depth, blur, color palette, or using gradients.
Here we have an impression of a 3D picture, but it does not have any additional value. It’s just decoration. And as it normally happens with decoration, the graph has lost a lot of its readability. Never place text on a gradient. Of course, if you want, it could be read easily.
Third dimension helps us to layer information. Color is the most significant tool for this purpose. We can filter parts of the diagram by their colors in a few moments:
Note how fast you can find the endings of each chain colored in yellow. This schema may be a bit overcolored and colors are too saturated. Anyway, color layering works well.
We’ll discuss coloring in more detail in the next articles. Here are just a few points so far:
- Use the ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software and its powerful Flowcharts solution to design a Flowchart of any type without effort.
- Use colors from the palette.
- Using 3-4 colors maximally is recommended.
- Take into attention that as more colors, as less their saturation.
TEN RELATED HOW TO's:
If you ever wanted to try any diagramming tools except of Visio, but were afraid to lose existing documents, there’s good news for you. One of the most striking features of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is it’s perfect compatibility with MS Visio, which guarantees that you won’t depend on operating system anymore, because another ConceptDraw DIAGRAM feature is that it’s cross-platform tool. Don’t waste your time looking for other options, you’ve found the solution already!
Business professionals often utilize the MS Visio as a common tool for making various issues on business visualization. MS Visio is a strong software with good capacity to maintain complex business solutions. But there is no MS Visio for Apple OS X. This is a large invocation, and one would be pleased to recognize that ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is the ideal alternative to MS Visio. Primarily, because this software works natively on both Windows and Apple OS X platforms. if you have migrated from Windows to Mac, or need to communicate in a cross-platform conditions, you’ll search for MS Visio replacer. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is the exclusive professional business diagramming application that runs on both Windows and Apple OS X. The opportunity exchange files between PC and Mac, as well as between ConceptDraw DIAGRAM and Visio is the significant advantage that permits you to display and to collaborate business information in effortless and cost-effective way.
Picture: ConceptDraw DIAGRAM Compatibility with MS Visio
There are numerous articles about the advantages of flowcharting, creating business graphics and developing different charts. Nevertheless, these articles are almost useless without the main component - the examples of flowcharts, org charts and without a fine example, it is difficult to get all the conveniences of creating diagrams. You can find tons of templates and vivid examples on Solution Park.
This illustration shows a variety of business diagrams that can be created using ConceptDraw DIAGRAM. It comprises a different fields of business activities: management, marketing, networking, software and database development along with design of infographics and business illustrations. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM provides a huge set of sample drawings including business process modeling diagrams,, network diagrams, UML diagrams, orgcharts, DFD, flowcharts, ERD, geographical maps and more.
Picture: Examples of Flowcharts, Org Charts and More
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ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software extended with unique HR Flowcharts Solution is the best for designing various flowcharts and diagrams in the field of human resources management.
Picture: Human Resources
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In general, you can use any icons to represent network equipment on a diagram. However, there are some icons, for instance, Cisco icons, shapes, stencils and symbols, that are recognizable worldwide. Using those icons you can create Cisco network topology diagrams in minutes and share them anywhere.
The icons depicting Cisco network equipment are recognized and generally applied as standard images for designing network diagrams. They are free to used , but can not be reworked. Cisco network diagrams are created to depict how signals processed on the network equipment and end-user computers and how data transfer through LAN or WLAN between nodes. The vector graphic library of ConceptDraw CISCO Network Diagrams solution includes about 90 icons of Cisco network equipment for designing computer network diagrams with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM.
Picture: Cisco Network Topology. Cisco icons, shapes, stencils and symbols
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A Flow Map is a type of thinking maps, which help organize and understand information easily. Use ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software to ✔️ create a Flow Map of any degree of complexity in a few minutes, ✔️ display the interrelated information, ✔️ structure information sequentially or chronologically, ✔️ represent manufacturing or engineering processes
Picture: Flow Map: A Step-by-Step Guide
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There are several basic topologies including bus, star, point-to-point, ring and a hybrid. Two computers can form a fully connected network topology, and as the number of network nodes increases, the network diagram gets more complicated. This type of topology is also called a full mesh.
This is a visual example of a computer network built using a mesh topology. This diagram presents the schematic structure of the full mesh network topology. A common mesh network topology means that each network device is connected with several points in the network, so if the one node of the network goes down, it does not cause an issue with an operability of the entire computer network. In a full mesh network topology, every computer or device in the network is interconnected with each of the other devices in the network.
Picture: Fully Connected Network Topology Diagram
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Interactive tool helps you find the appropriate response to social media mentions quickly.
Picture: How to Use the ″Online Store PR Campaign″ Sample
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Process mapping helps with sharing business results and reorganizing workflow. In almost every case, after creating a sales process flowchart the steps that are redundant become obvious for a manager. It's easy to find a flowchart examples that will help in developing one for your business.
This sales process flowchart consists of a sequence of steps that represent a simple sale process. Each step is shown graphically by a rectangle representing processing steps or an activity, or a diamond representing a decision. These rectangles are linked by arrows, that indicate the direction of the sales workflow. ConceptDraw Sales Flowcharts solution delivers a the full set of classical flowchart notation symbols, along with sales-related icons and pictograms.
Picture:
Sales Process Flowchart
Flowchart Examples
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Competitor analysis is a first and obligatory step in elaboration the proper corporate marketing strategy and creating sustainable competitive advantage. Use powerful opportunities of numerous solutions from ConceptDraw Solution Park for designing illustrative diagrams, charts, matrices which are necessary for effective competitor analysis.
Picture: Competitor Analysis
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Stakeholder management is a critical component to the successful delivery of any project, programme or activity.
ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is a powerful diagramming and vector drawing software. Now, thanks to the Stakeholder Onion Diagrams Solution included to the Management Area of ConceptDraw Solution Park, ConceptDraw DIAGRAM became also unique stakeholder management system design software.
Picture: Stakeholder Management System using Onion Diagram
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