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Block Diagrams
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.
Workflow
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
- Are you describing the overall system?
- Are you describing an algorithm?
- Are you describing a workflow?
- You may need multiple block diagrams in your presentation, or you might need less.
- Outline the blocks that you need to describe
- For hardware - how are the hardware components interconnected?
- For software - you might be describing how your program logically flows from one state to another
- Include enough text to give your audience context
- Label communication types or voltage/current measurements
- Make sure that you're representing things correctly
- Is there a chance for misintrepretation?
- Get comments/feedback early and revise
Tools
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