Don’t underestimate the power of pictures when it comes to communication. If you’re struggling to get your ideas across or identify the root cause of a problem, try sketching it out on paper. It doesn’t require any special talent and can be a great first step towards achieving your goals. For more guidance on the value of visual communication, check out Dan Roam’s book, The Back of the Napkin.
Types of diagrams that are useful, and when to use them:
- Flow Diagrams – a visual representation of a process or system. It uses symbols and arrows to show the flow of information or materials through the process.
- Fishbone Diagrams – a tool used to identify the root cause of a problem. It looks like a fish skeleton and uses branches to identify possible causes of the problem.
- Road Maps – a visual representation of a plan or strategy. It shows the steps needed to achieve a goal, and the timeline for each step.
- Journey Map – a visual representation of a customer’s experience with a product or service. It shows the different touchpoints a customer has with the product or service, and the emotions and actions associated with each touchpoint.
- Impact Maps – a tool used to identify the goals and objectives of a project, and the impact it will have on stakeholders. It uses a hierarchical structure to show the relationship between the project goals and the impact on stakeholders.
- Relationship Diagrams – a tool used to show the connections between different entities. It can be used to show the relationships between people, organizations, or ideas.
- Process Diagrams – a visual representation of a process or system. It uses symbols and arrows to show the flow of information or materials through the process.
- Matrix – a tool used to show the relationship between two or more variables. It can be used to show the relationship between different products, features, or stakeholders.
- Venn Diagram – a tool used to show the relationship between different sets of data. It uses overlapping circles to show the commonalities and differences between the sets.
- Mind Map – a tool used to organize ideas and information. It uses a hierarchical structure to show the relationships between different ideas.
- Circle Diagram – a tool used to show the relationship between different entities. It can be used to show the relationships between people, organizations, or ideas.
- Gantt Chart – a tool used to show the timeline of a project. It uses horizontal bars to show the duration of each task, and the dependencies between tasks.
- Funnel Chart – a tool used to show the progression of a process. It uses a funnel shape to show the number of entities at each stage of the process.
- Hierarchy Diagram (org chart) – a tool used to show the structure of an organization. It uses a hierarchical structure to show the relationships between different roles and positions.
- Pyramid – a tool used to show the hierarchy of different entities. It can be used to show the hierarchy of an organization, or the hierarchy of different ideas or concepts.