Guest Author - Chris Curtis

Visual Impact

We’ve all heard the expression, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Everyday we absorb a large amount of information through our senses. This information comes to us both overtly and subtly through what we hear and see. We watch TV, listen to the radio, read books and magazines, surf the web, talk with our friends, etc. Think about it from your own experience. Isn’t it true, pictures capture your imagination and attention far quicker than written words. Often times, we understand information better through visual stimulation.

Computers make organizing our thoughts and information into graphics, diagrams, and pictures easy. Visio is one such program that offers a set of tools you can use to graphically organize and display information. It is the leading drawing and diagramming program with a user-friendly interface. With Visio, you can visualize and communicate your information in a concise diagram, from a simple flowchart to complex network diagrams. You do not need to be a graphics artist to create sophisticated diagrams. Visio provides all the necessary tools to create your diagram quickly and easily.

Types of Diagrams

Visio goes beyond its reputation of being simply a flowchart tool. Visio supplies over 50 solution templates for a variety of diagram types. There are templates for creating Database diagrams, UML diagrams, Data Flow diagrams, Web Documentation, Application Development, Active Directory Diagrams, Network Diagrams, Cross-functional Flowcharts, Time Lines, Calendars, Gantt, Charts, Work or Process Flow Diagrams, Block Diagrams, and Organizational Charts to name a few.

Templates, Stencils, and Shapes

Each template presents one or more stencils. The stencil organizes a selection of shapes typically used in the type of diagram you selected. Shapes provide the foundation for your drawing. Shape graphics differs from a picture or clip art graphic in that it is composed from lines that are computed mathematically. Technically put they are Vector based objects. To create your drawing, you simply drag and drop the shape you want from the stencil to the drawing board. You can connect the shapes and add text to enhance the clarity of your drawing. You can also tailor your diagram to add visual impact by changing color, fill patterns, line properties and other shape features.


Breaking out of the Box
The beauty of Visio’s flexibility in illustrative diagrams is that you can create your own templates, stencils, and shapes. You may want all your process flow diagrams to have the same look and feel. Create a template to include a background, title area, data caption and a stencil holding all the shapes you need for each drawing you will create. You can also drag a shape or graphic from another program or use OLE objects to include in your stencil. The Visio program allows you the creative freedom to design your diagram your way. And if that is not enough, once complete, you can integrate your drawing into a Word, PowerPoint or Excel file simply and easily.