Tech Writers Should Build Flow Charts

11. May, 2011 0 Comments

Do you ever find yourself writing a process that gets a bit complicated?

Uh, yeah. All the time, right?

I’m not talking about NASA flight checks. Frankly, if the process involves more than a straight, linear path, then it gets hard to keep in my head.

If you DO have an alligator, go on to Step 3. Otherwise, try dipping a toe in the water. Unless there are piranha. In that case, paddle.

For me, the easiest way to understand paths is to see a flow chart. I don’t put flow charts in my documentation, but I do create them for myself.

Flow charts save me time

Yes, it takes a little time to create a flow chart, but that time gets paid back when I can refer to it later. Otherwise, the phone rings and I lose my train of thought and can’t remember whether you insert the dongle before or after the amber light flashes.

Know what I mean?

And I’ve found that other people internally seem to appreciate them as well.

Flow charts let Dev check accuracy, not wording.

I send the flow chart to Dev and to product management before I even write a word. They can comment on it without getting tied up in whether this comma or that semicolon is in the right place. Of course, I send the finished work as well, but this way I can jump in a lot faster, knowing that I’ve got it right.

I use OmniGraffle, which is really great. But the truth is that I could use anything that allows me to make squares, circles, and lines. So anyone with a computer can make a flow chart.

Here’s a fairly simple one I created for myself when writing a little troubleshooting section for using an Internet phone.

And here’s a draft of the writing itself, so you can see how the flow converts to steps.

Of course, there are a thousand ways to write a process, and I’m not claiming that my way is the best. But I will say that it would have been a lot harder if I didn’t have that handy little flow chart next to me.

Do you use flow charts? If not, are you planning to give them a try?