
Ask HN: How to make clear and legible diagrams - contr-error
Diagramming software and tools (e.g. PlantUML or even Inscape) are a popular subject on here.<p>I&#x27;ve played around with them and read their tutorials. But what&#x27;s missing for me is information about what makes a diagram clear and readable. A lot of the examples are inscrutable (or at the very least ambiguous) if you don&#x27;t know the conventions of the specific diagram used (the meaning of the icons, the arrows, the text inside and outside of boxes, ...).<p>Are there any resources that cover the basics of diagramming (starting with the simplest flowchart), regardless of the software&#x2F;medium used? Once you know how to make a clear diagram with pen-and-paper the most interesting work is done and all that&#x27;s left is (optionally) converting it into digital form.
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joubert
Finding the best tools to represent insight is good.

However, I have found it better to start with thinking about the audience and
what I want them to take away.

When you say "clear and readable" I think: "understandable and memorable".

I would recommend focusing first on the content of your message, and then
figuring out the form. Tooling, for me, comes last.

Specifically, consider:

* who is your audience * what do you want to convey (and why) * focus on the essentials of your message (too often I see irrelevant detail that undermines impact and recall)

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contr-error
Hey, thanks for your comment! I agree that tooling comes last, that's sort of
what I was trying to get across.

Those are some good points you brought up. I think they'll be useful next time
I need to make a diagram (or even any written communication).

