The document discusses the importance of visual grammar in business communication, emphasizing that visuals can communicate more effectively than text. It outlines rules for creating effective visuals, including consistency and one-page rules, as well as specific guidelines for flowcharts, organization charts, and mind maps. Additionally, it mentions the SmartDraw tool, which applies these visual grammar rules automatically.

1. Visual Grammar

2. Why Visual Grammar?
• Visuals communicate six
times more effectively
than words alone.
• A lack of common rules
for visual communication
limits the use of visuals
in business.

3. Consider Written Communication
• Standards are used so that documents are universally
understood
Consider written communication.
Everyone can read a business
document because it’s written
following accepted rules.

4. Similar Rules Are Needed for Visuals

5. Global Visual Grammar Rules
1. The Consistency Rule
2. The One-Page Rule

6. The Consistency Rule
• The appearance of equivalent shapes, lines and text in a visual
should be consistent (i.e. the same).

7. The One-Page Rule
• The visual must fit on one page (or screen) and the text must
remain readable.

8. The One-Page Rule
• If the visual is too big, break it up into smaller visuals

9. Visual-Specific Rules
Flowcharts Org Charts Mind Maps

10. Flowchart Rules
• Flow is from left to right and arrowheads show the direction
of flow

11. Flowchart Rules
• Decisions are represented as a split in the path, like a decision
tree

12. Flowchart Rules
• Return lines connect the bottom of shapes and do not cross

13. Flowchart Rules
• Flow may wrap into multiple rows but is always left to right

14. Organization Chart Rules
• The hierarchy flows down the page, with the head position at
the top and reports underneath, the bottom levels with no
reports are shown in a columnar style; higher levels with
reports are shown in the horizontal style.

15. Organization Chart Rules
• The bottom levels with no
reports are shown in a
columnar style; higher levels
with reports are shown in the
horizontal style.
• Assistants are shown on the
lines that connect managers
with subordinates.

16. Organization Chart Rules
• Shapes are either all the same size or shapes at the higher
levels are larger than shapes at the lower levels.

17. Organization Chart Rules
• The text in the shape first labels the position and then the
name of the person serving in this position on the next line.
An organization chart is a display of positions first, people
second.

18. Mind Map Rules
• 3 Types of Mind Map:
Radial Left Columnar Right Columnar

19. Mind Map Rules
• Topics are ordered from top to bottom, starting with the left
column and then moving to the right column.

20. Mind Map Rules
• The level of indentation of the topic from the main topic is
shown with a color/outline change so that the hierarchy is
more easily visible.

21. The Visual Processor

22. The Visual Processor
SmartDraw applies Visual Grammar rules for you,
automatically as you create your visual.

23. Demo
• To watch a video about Visual
Grammar, visit:
www.smartdraw.com/visual-grammar/
• To watch the SmartDraw Guided Tour
video, visit:
www.smartdraw.com