A flowchart is a type of diagram that represents a process, system, or algorithm. In particular, with its help you can plan and optimize the steps of users on your website or another digital product, as well as present them in chronological order. Below we will share with you five non-obvious tips for creating flowcharts.
Flowchart Use Cases
As you understand, flowcharts can be used quite widely, and in particular, in the development of user interfaces. However, we decided to collect general ideas for their use:
- simplification of ideas. Due to the maximum clarity of sequential actions, flowcharts make any algorithm much more understandable for any of their users. Just agree: it’s much easier to find out what needs to be done by looking at the flowchart than in the case of tons of text instructions in a paper document;
- standardization. When it comes to implementing standards, flowcharts make it as easy as possible. Instead of providing a list of compliance parameters, it’s better to create a step-by-step guide to achieve the desired compliance;
- process optimization. After transferring old workflows to a flowchart, you can easily optimize them if necessary by compiling new, shorter logical chains.
5 Tips to Build a Flowchart
Let’s learn how to create the best ever flowchart.
Pay attention to color, size, and shape of flowchart elements
In flowcharts, it’s very important to use the form of the elements, which is identical to its purpose. At the same time, you should adhere to the same color scheme and sizes of equivalent blocks. This way, neither your colleagues nor you will ever get confused when interpreting a particular project.
You may also need to add other defining elements like photos and links. This can make flowcharts easier to read, but is not a commonly practiced way of constructing them.
Avoid diamonds whenever possible
In standard flowchart guides, their authors recommend using diamonds to represent a decision. However, this approach automatically requires bifurcation into two perpendicular directions (this makes it difficult to follow the flow from left to right). Moreover, not all users generally understand why diamonds are used in flowcharts, so everyone interprets these elements in their own way or completely ignores them.
To avoid confusion, it’s better to use a regular rectangle denoting a split path. In this case, the logic of following from left to right will remain, and users will be able to read everything that you wanted to demonstrate to them.
Separate the return lines from the standard path from left to right and top to bottom
The standard way to move through a flowchart is from top to bottom and left to right. If your flowchart involves the use of return lines, it’s better to place them below it. If you need to use several return lines, exclude the possibility of their intersection. So the project will be as readable as possible for other users.
Split a flowchart into multiple threads
Sometimes flowcharts are too long, which confuses those who see them for the first time. Also, such diagrams are quite inconvenient to read. To avoid this, it’s better to break the flowchart into several threads that branch off from the first elements of the general thread. That is, to increase the graph not on the final branches, but at the very top.
In general, in order to understand how readable your flowchart is, it’s enough to adhere to the following rule: flowcharts larger than one page must be divided into several smaller ones, connecting them to each other with hyperlinks. You can also reduce the size of the blocks (the main thing is that the accompanying text remains readable) or make “steps” by placing the blocks not in one line, but in several floors. It also allows more rational use of space, although in some cases it complicates the understanding of the logic of the project.
Add interactivity
For better visualization, you can add some special effects to your project, such as animation or highlighting with different colors. This will help draw users’ attention to the right emphasis in your flowchart.
Conclusion
We sincerely hope that we have been able to provide you with the most direct guidelines for creating flowcharts. And for everything else, you already have the right tool — Flowchart.
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