The title of this post is an age old adage that is as true today as it was when it was first coined, and you can find no better example of this than in today’s workplace. Probably the perfect example of this is the way that Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint have become so deeply integrated in our day to day activities. However, I’d like to focus on an area where I think the use of pictures is vastly underrated: The use of process flow diagrams in non-technical formal documentation.

A Process Flow Diagram basically depicts how a process begins, what occurs during that process, and how the process ends. If you notice, I’ve highlighted non-technical in the sentence above. This is because process flow diagrams are extremely common in technical documentation. However, it’s been my experience that they can be almost non-existent in non-technical documentation. I believe the following two misconceptions cause this:

1. Process flow diagrams have to be used for technical documentation.
2. They are hard to create.

Neither of these are true. While they are great to use for technical documentation, there are many ways to use them in non-technical documents. For example, say we are writing a document describing how to how shipments should be ordered, delivered, and stored in the warehouse. While we could write some lengthy paragraphs on how this occurs, a better way to depict this process would be to create a diagram showing it and add text explaining it. This way the person reading it can see the whole process at a glance, and then follow along with the explanation instead of trying to figure out what the process would look like in their head.

To dismiss the second misconception above, I’d like to point to Microsoft Visio. Visio is a great application for creating these diagrams, and it is amazingly simple to use. All you have to do is drag and drop your process blocks, add text, and cut and paste the finished product into your documents. Lot’s of people shy away from Visio because it seems like a complicated application, but in reality it’s no harder to create a diagram there than it is to create a spreadsheet in Excel or a document in Word.

Here’s a few steps to get you up and running quickly in Visio:

1. Start Visio.
2. Go to File -> New -> (Business Process or Flowchart) -> Basic Flowchart (You can use the U.S units option). A new basic flowchart drawing will be created.

The basic shapes that you can use will be displayed on the left hand side of the Visio window. Simply drag and drop these shapes onto your blank drawing to create your diagram. You can also double click on each shape to add text. To connect them, use the Dynamic Connector shape to connect the points of the other shapes. Also, to select parts of you drawing, you can drag your cursor around those parts and cut and paste at will. If you want to quickly select your entire drawing, use Ctrl-A to select everything.

The advantages to using process flow diagrams in your documents are many. Not only does it make your content easier to follow, but some people are just more visual than others. By using both, you reach a wider audience. One word of warning: Don’t go overboard on the diagrams. Like anything else, you can have too much of a good thing. Strike a good balance between text and diagrams, and I think you’ll be pleased by the results.