How to make a flowchart: our step-by-step guide

When it comes to visual representations of a process to illustrate the steps, decisions, and pathways involved in the instruction process, little else communicates the order of events as efficiently (and often beautifully) as a well-designed flowchart.

A flowchart represents information or activity flow, shaping how we live and work. For almost a century, flowcharts have been quietly steering everything from interplanetary exploration to the complex algorithms driving the development of generative AI.

Visual mapping has enabled generations to break down complex processes, identify inefficiencies, and chart clear paths to success. From Frank and Lillian Gilbreth's pioneering use of flowcharts in optimizing factory productivity (almost a century ago) to Herman Goldstine and John von Neumann's flowcharts that mapped the first computer programs, this visualization tool has stood the test of time.

"The Process Chart is a device for visualizing a process as a means of improving it. Every detail of a process is more or less affected by every other detail; therefore, the entire process must be presented in such form that it can be visualized all at once before any changes are made in any of its subdivisions."—Frank Gilbreth, pioneer of the first flowcharts

Whether you're a graphic designer working on a campaign, an illustrator working on a story, or simply untangling your weekend to-do list, flowcharts are ideal for streamlining and communicating effectively.

Ready to make your first chart? Let's get into the flow.

The technical format of flowcharts

Flowcharts are more than just a series of shapes and lines. They’re a visual language for depicting processes, workflows, and algorithms.

To use this language effectively, try to understand the technical format of flowcharts, what their symbols are intended to mean, and the process of creating one. 

Let’s go through some of these aspects:

Sequential flow

The most fundamental aspect of a flowchart is its ability to illustrate a process step-by-step. Each shape (or symbol) is connected by arrows that guide the viewer through the sequence of actions or decisions from start to finish.

In the early 1900s, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth embarked on a groundbreaking mission to improve work efficiency.

They recognized the limitations of written procedures and saw the potential of visual storytelling to simplify complex processes.

Their practical approach led them to develop a standardized system of flowchart symbols, each meticulously chosen for clarity and ease of understanding.

Through rigorous observation of workers across various industries, the Gilbreths identified key stages in any process:

• Actions
• Decisions
• Inputs
• Outputs
• Delays

They assigned distinct shapes to represent each stage. Rectangles signified actions, diamonds marked decision points, ovals denoted inputs and outputs, and circles highlighted waiting periods. This intuitive system ensured consistent visualization, allowing anyone to follow the flow of a process without needing specific technical knowledge.

Standardized symbols

Specific shapes have standardized meanings in flowchart design.

Look at the handy table below outlining various symbols commonly used in flowcharts, along with their names and specific functions:

Direction of flow

Flowcharts typically follow a consistent direction, either top-to-bottom or left-to-right. This keeps things organized and prevents confusion, letting you easily track the progress from start to finish. While each shape has a specific meaning, think of them as different steps along the way. 

The arrows, meanwhile, are your guides. They point the way from one step to the next, ensuring you know exactly where to go after each action or decision. They can even split and converge, showing alternative paths depending on your choices.

Level of detail

The complexity of a flowchart can vary. Some flowcharts are high-level overviews, while others are detailed, step-by-step guides. The level of detail depends on the flowchart’s intended use and audience.

Things have come a long way since the first flowcharts were created. Finding your flow and making your own rules is important. Once you've grasped the basic concept of how flowcharts should work, experiment with different symbols that tell the story you want to express. 

Now, let's start applying the structure of flowcharts and show you how to build your own in a few simple steps.

How to make a flowchart in 7 easy steps

Create your flow

Before diving into shapes and arrows, ask yourself: What’s the core purpose of my flowchart?

Is it to visualize a decision-making process? Map a workflow? Explain a complex system? Identifying your goal will guide the entire flowchart creation process, ensuring every element serves a clear purpose.

To help you conceptualize the flow of your chart, we've put together two different scenarios, each with different design outcomes:

Option 1: keeping the office kitchen clean after making coffee or tea

Symbols:

• Rectangle: Process step (e.g., "Make coffee/tea")
• Diamond: Decision point (e.g., "Was a mug used?")
• Oval: Input/Output (e.g., "Pour coffee/tea", "Wash mug")
• Terminator: End of process

Flow:

Start: Make coffee/tea (oval)

Decision 1: Did you use a mug? (diamond)

• Yes: Go to Decision 2 (rectangle)
• No: Discard used coffee pod or tea bag (rectangle), rinse and wipe sink (rectangle), dry hands (oval) - End

Decision 2: Wash mug immediately? (diamond)

• Yes: Wash mug with soap and water (rectangle), dry mug and put away (oval) - End
• No: Place mug in designated clean or dirty dish area (oval) - End

Option 2: should you adopt a cat?

Symbols:

• Happy face: Positive outcome (e.g., "Cuddle a fluffy friend")
• Sad face: Negative outcome (e.g., "Wake up to chewed furniture")
• Question mark: Decision point (e.g., "Do you live in a small apartment?")
• Rectangle: Process step (e.g., "Research cat breeds")
• Star: Start/Endpoint

Flow:

Start: Do you dream of owning a cat?

• Yes: Go to Question 1
• No: Enjoy dog parks and lint-free furniture - End

Question 1: Do you have free time for daily playtime and grooming?

• Yes: Go to Question 2
• No: Consider low-maintenance pets like fish or hermit crabs - End (sad face)

Question 2: Can you afford food, litter, and potential vet bills?

• Yes: Go to Question 3
• No: Maybe wait until you win the lottery - End (sad face)

Question 3: Do you live in a pet-friendly environment?

• Yes: Go to Question 4
• No: Talk to your landlord or explore a shelter volunteer role - End (question mark)

Question 4: Are you ready for cuddles, purrs, and occasional hairballs?

• Yes: Congratulations! Research breeds and welcome a furry friend! - End (happy face)
• No: Relax, maybe a plant is a better fit for now - End (neutral face)

Setting up your document

With your flowchart's mission defined, it's time to lay the visual groundwork in Linearity Curve. Here's how:

Open a new project: Launch Linearity Curve and click New in the navigation menu or on the dashboard.

Choose your canvas: Decide whether to start from scratch with a custom Artboard or leverage the convenience of a pre-built template. Consider your flowchart's complexity and desired layout when making this choice.

Setting up a custom Artboard:

1. Select an Artboard size that aligns with the purpose of your project under the Templates tab. 
2. Choose a size that comfortably accommodates your flowchart elements. Consider browsing the templates for paper sizes if you intend to print your flowchart or one of the social media templates to make your flowchart go viral. 
3. Once your template opens, consider customizing the background by selecting the background layer, toggling the background Fill button, and adjusting the color or applying a subtle gradient or pattern.

Using a designer template for a quick start:

1. Browse the Linearity Templates Hub for exciting design options. 
2. Select a template that aligns with your flowchart's purpose and desired structure. Some templates offer layout options, so explore those for the best fit.
3. Feel free to adjust the existing elements and add your own custom shapes and text as needed.

Get this template

Get this template

Add your text

Next, let's add the text we've written out into the document and place the text boxes onto our Artboard. Let's use Linearity Curve's text-editing tools and create a clear and informative narrative that guides your audience through each step:

Click the Text Tool icon in the Toolbar or press T on your keyboard.

Click anywhere on your canvas to initiate a new text box ready for your words. A bounding box with the word "Text" will appear, waiting for your input.

The content-aware Text Panel will appear in the Style Tab, offering a spectrum of formatting options.

Explore the Font Picker within the Text Panel to find the perfect typeface for your flowchart. Limit your choices to two well-paired typefaces, along with their bold and italic variations, for optimal readability.

Customize the text's appearance by adjusting the Fill and Stroke colors within the Text Panel. Whether it's a simple black-and-white composition or a vibrant rainbow, the choice is yours.

Use the Text Panel's options to ensure a polished look by choosing seamless text alignment—left, right, center, or justified.

Add the basic shapes

Now, it's time to shape your flowchart's story. Linearity Curve's Shape Builder Tool offers an intuitive way to craft the visual building blocks that bring your process to life.

Click the Shape Tool icon (it looks like an empty square) in the Toolbar on the left. This initiates the tool and reveals a context menu containing a shapes library.

Browse through the various shapes available. Familiarize yourself with the classic options like rectangles for actions, diamonds for decisions, and ovals for inputs and outputs.

But don't limit yourself; explore other shapes like triangles, stars, and arrows to find ones that resonate with your specific process.

Once you've chosen your desired shape, click and drag on your canvas to draw the shape, adjusting the size and position. Hold the Shift key to maintain perfect proportions.

Drag the corner handles for precise size adjustments.

If you want to smooth sharp edges, head to the Inspector on the right side of your screen and locate the Shape dropdown option. You can easily modify the Corner Radius for a sleek, rounded look.

Check out the Fill and Stroke options within the Style Tab. To make your shapes pop, you can experiment with vibrant colors, subtle gradients, or stroke thicknesses.

As per the convention, we’ll start the coffee/tea flowchart with an oval shape. So, for your starting point, place the coffee/tea text box in an oval shape. Once you've made your shape, select the corresponding text box for that shape and move it onto the box.

If your text layer is beneath your shape layer (i.e., if you can't see the text), move it above your shape layer in the Layers Tab by dragging the layer into the correct position.

Continue to do this with each shape and its text box until every text layer has its shape beneath it.

Adjust shape Fills and experiment with Stroke Weights to create a cohesive and logical composition.

Connect the dots

With your flowchart's foundation laid and its elements in place, it's time to create the connections between them.

Click on the Line Shape Tool in the Toolbar. 

Click on the first shape you want to connect, and a small green circle will appear at potential connection points. Drag your cursor to the desired connection point on the second shape and release the click. A perfectly straight line will now bridge the gap between your shapes. 

Need more flexibility? Add additional node points on the line to adjust its angle or curvature. Create sleek diagonal connections, gentle curves, or even zig-zag patterns to match the flow of your process.

Styling your lines

• Use the Selection Tool to select any line shape and unlock its styling options in the Style Tab.
• Change the line's color to complement your flowchart's theme or highlight specific connections.
• Adjust the line's Stroke Weight to create visual hierarchy. You can use thicker lines for main pathways and thinner lines for secondary connections.
• Experiment with Stroke styles (solid, dashed, dotted) to convey different meanings or relationships within your process.

We also started adding some graphics from Linearity Curve's integrated Iconator Library. Iconator is a gallery inside Curve with over 80,000 royalty-free icons that can be used for free in all your projects.

Open the Library Tab and navigate to the Iconator Tab. Search for icons using keywords, then tap and drag an icon to insert it into your document.

Illustrate and refine the layout

Now that your flowchart's bones are set and its connections are flowing, it's time to add the final touches that transform it into a visually stunning and informative piece of design. 

You can explore color, text styles, and typefaces and play with the layout of your diagram.

We wanted to see how our flowchart design could look with more punch and color and leveraged Linearity Curve's template library for some design help. We used the Colorful Coffe Podcast Cover template, but there are thousands of others to suit your style.

Export and share

With your flowchart's visual narrative polished and finalized, it's time to export your creation. Linearity Curve offers seamless export options and diverse sharing possibilities, ensuring your audience encounters your process with clarity and impact.

You can save your design in a printable format like .pdf or .jpeg. A .pdf file offers crisp layouts and vibrant colors, while .jpeg files are smaller raster images.

Click on the Export icon on the far right at the top of your screen, select your image format, and tweak any of the settings.

Then, click Export.

You're officially off the chart

From structuring your narrative to adding visual flair, you've made the first step in transforming complex processes into guides people want to read. 

So get it out there in the wild—your work could help someone else streamline their work, simplify complicated information for students, and even make sense of all the misinformation we face daily.

Sign up for your free Linearity Curve account today, and don't forget to share your work with us once you've got your flowchart flowing.

If you haven’t heard, Linearity Move has been launched—the perfect way to bring your designs to life with a single click.

Bring motion in-house

Animate marketing assets in seconds with Linearity Move.

Get started