Block diagrams are important to display information in a visual way to an audience. Block diagrams are typically used for higher level, less detailed descriptions that are intended to clarify overall concepts without concern for the details of implementation.

Contrast this with the schematic diagrams and layout diagrams used in electrical engineering, which show the implementation details of electrical components and physical construction.

Depending on what you're trying to describe the specific elements can be different but here are some points you should follow:

• Figure out what information you want to convey to the audience
  • Do you even need a block diagram? Why?
  • Are you describing the overall system?
  • Are you describing an algorithm?
  • Are you describing a workflow?
  • Do you need multiple block diagrams?

• Look through some of the block diagram examples
  • Which one is closest to what you're trying to aim for?
  • Do any of them fit what you're trying to describe?
  • Look through the other project's presentations to look at their block diagrams

• Outline the blocks that you need to describe
  • What are your blocks going to be in this case? Hardware components? Libraries? Software States?
  • What are the connections between your blocks?

• Get comments/feedback early and revise
  • Do not work on this the night before
  • It's important to get some feedback from either the leadership team or another team
  • Look at something else and come back to the block diagram after a while

Functional block diagrams describe what your system's functions are and not necessarily how it's implemented. They very concisely describe the behavior of your system and is a good primer to describe your design.

Listed below are some tools that you can use to design your block diagram. Regardless of the tool you use, the content should be first on your priority list - try and few tools and see if they can help you achieve the objective that you want.

• Word
• Google Draw
• Powerpoint
• Google Presentations
• Draw.io

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_diagram
2. https://www.smartdraw.com/block-diagram/

Contributing authors:

Created by kluong on 2016/02/27 04:06.