Flowchart Tips - Five Tips for Better Flowcharts
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1. Use Consistent Design Elements 1. Use Consistent Design Elements Shapes, lines and texts within a flowchart diagram should be consistent. This example shows how consistency is applied. Notice how only the start and end shapes are oval. All the others are rectangles. Every shape is the same size as is the spacing between them. They also have the same outlines and are aligned uniformly. Using consistency eliminates unnecessary distraction and makes the data flow or workflow very easy to follow. Sometimes color is helpful in making process steps clearer. Certain types of processes, such as decisions, might be shown in a different color, as might steps that require the user to return to an earlier step (such as 'Reheat' in this example.) Spacing, on the other hand, should always be consistent. Most drawing programs require you to do this manually, which can be time-consuming, so if you're looking at software, be sure to look for something with automated drawing and formatting built in. There may be times when it is acceptable, and perhaps even preferable, to draw a flowchart that moves beyond a basic, simple design scheme. Making a flowchart with photographs might be one of those situations. This can make a flowchart a more interesting element in a presentation slideshow, for example. It also might be useful in the event your audience is multi-lingual. Maybe there are steps in the process that are more clearly explained with a picture. A good software program will let you make flowcharts with photos, symbols, hyperlinks, and so forth.2. Keep Everything on One Page 2. Keep Everything on One Page It is good practice to make sure that the flowchart fits on a single page and the text remains readable. When a diagram becomes too large to fit on a page, it's advisable to divide it into multiple charts and connect them with hyperlinks. To keep your flowchart to one page you can try a few solutions outlined below: A. If it's just slightly too big, try scaling it down. Remember, though, that the font you're using will also scale. For example, if you're using 10-point font and scale the diagram to 60% its original size, your font is now effectively 6 point. A tip here is to use a larger font that will offset the reduction in scale. In this example, if you re-set your font to 16 point then a 60% scale will result in 9.6-point type. Of course, using a larger font will probably increase the sizes of the symbols, so you may need to make a few adjustments to get the right look. B. Depending on the number of steps, you can also have your chart flow left to right, then down to a subsequent line where it continues. It will look something like this: C. Another way to handle a large flowchart is to break it up into a collection of smaller ones. Do this by starting with a top-level diagram that provides a brief summary of the steps in the complete process. Each of these brief summaries will then contain a hyperlink to a separate flowchart that shows the details of that step. The steps in the detail flowcharts may themselves be summaries of even more detailed steps, or sub-processes. These will, in turn, be hyperlinked in the same manner. This may continue into several layers of detail.3. Flow Data from Left to Right 3. Flow Data from Left to Right Structuring a flowchart from left to right makes the information easier to read and comprehend.4. Use a Split Path Instead of a Traditional Decision Symbol 4. Use a Split Path Instead of a Traditional Decision Symbol Traditional flowcharts use a diamond symbol to represent a decision. There are three inherent problems with this: A decision symbol immediately introduces two directions of information flow, breaking the left-to-right rule and making the flowchart more difficult to follow. Most users don't understand the meanings of various symbols, so the introduction of a diamond shape is distracting. Many creators of flowcharts are also unfamiliar with conventional symbols, thus using them randomly and creating confusion. The use of a split-path eliminates all three. It continues the left-to-right process flow, and it's easy to see and understand without explanation. Here's an example showing the same process using a split-path versus a traditional decision symbol:5. Place Return Lines Under the Flow Diagram 5. Place Return Lines Under the Flow Diagram Since we naturally read text from the top of the page down, it is logical that return lines should be placed under the flowchart rather than above. If two return lines are needed, they shouldn't overlap. Here's an example of how return lines should look:
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