Reference
Guides
How to draw each kind of diagram properly, what the notation means, and how to get it out of the editor and into whatever you are making.
Where to start
New to flowcharts? Read the symbols guide first, then how to make one: one covers the standard shapes and what each is for, the other a seven-step method that includes testing the chart on three real cases.
Not sure which diagram to draw? Two guides compare close relatives: a flowchart, a process map and a swimlane, and a mind map and a concept map. Database work starts with crow's foot notation.
Learning to program? Three pages of programming flowcharts work through nine classic exercises, each as a chart, pseudocode, Python and C. For systems analysis coursework, the worked examples draw eight classic systems five ways each. And if you have a diagram written in Mermaid, the importer turns it into one you can edit.
Before a diagram goes to anyone else, the export guide says which format suits slides, documents, printing and the web, and the accessibility guide covers contrast, colour-blindness, text size and alt text. If you use the editor most days, the shortcuts are worth ten minutes.
Flowchart symbols and what each one means
The standard flowchart symbols, what each one is for, and the three mistakes that make a flowchart hard to read.
Flowchart makerHow to make a flowchart that people actually follow
A practical seven-step method for drawing a flowchart, from picking the boundaries to testing it on three real cases and dating it.
Flowchart makerFlowchart, process map or swimlane — which to draw
Three names for closely related diagrams, what actually differs between them, and how to pick.
Process map makerEvery keyboard shortcut in the editor
The full shortcut list for the DiagramDesk editor, and the handful worth learning first.
PNG, SVG or PDF — which export to choose
What each export format is good at, when it will let you down, and which to use for slides, documents, printing and the web.
Crow's foot notation, explained properly
How to read and draw the marks on the ends of relationship lines in an ER diagram, and the mistakes that slip through review.
ER diagram toolOrg charts that stay useful for more than a week
How to lay out an org chart, what to put in each box, and why most of them go stale within a month.
Org chart makerMind map or concept map — the difference that matters
They look similar and do different jobs. One labelled line is what separates them, and it changes how you should use each.
Mind map makerMaking a diagram readable for everyone
Contrast, colour-blindness, text size, alt text and print. Practical fixes that also make a diagram clearer for everybody.