In an architectural presentation, a diagram is meant to make a specific relationship or design decision visible, not simply to decorate the project. For each diagram, first identify the question your audience is trying to answer; then choose a format that makes the answer clear. The suggestions below can be adapted for a concept presentation, jury board, or project review. They are practical steps to consider in light of the drawing’s purpose, not rigid rules for every project.
1. Define the diagram’s purpose
Write one sentence for each visual: “This diagram explains the project’s ___ decision.” For example: “It explains why the pedestrian entrance is on the north side.” If you cannot complete the sentence, try narrowing the subject or checking whether another drawing already shows the same information.
Then decide what information is needed to explain it. For a site-planning decision, the plot, approach directions, or neighboring context may be important. To explain circulation, you may need entrances and routes. If you are showing a relationship to daylight or views, consider adding orientation and the relevant façade or openings. Rather than loading every visual with all the project information, reduce details that are unrelated to the decision you have chosen.
2. Choose a format that fits the question
A diagram can be used alongside drawings such as plans, sections, or elevations. A simplified site plan can be a starting point for explaining site layout and context; a bubble diagram for spatial relationships; a flow diagram for user movement; and a sequence of massing diagrams for explaining a massing decision. The right choice depends on the decision you are explaining and the project information you want to show.
For example, a diagram showing function names and connections may be clearer than a dimensioned technical plan for the question “How are the main functions connected?” For “Where is the entrance, and from which direction do people approach?”, a site plan showing orientation and the approach route may be useful. Assess your choice of diagram based on the question your audience is trying to answer, not visual preference. For a comparison of different formats, see Choosing presentation diagrams to match your message.
3. Check the information you will use
Prepare the diagram from a current project drawing or a base drawing whose accuracy you have checked. Consider whether information such as the north arrow, scale, plot boundary, and existing structures is necessary for this explanation. You can simplify unnecessary details, but take care not to change the context in doing so. If you are combining drawings from different project stages, check which information is being treated as authoritative.
To establish a visual language, try highlighting the main decision with a limited number of colors, line types, or labels. If the meaning of arrows and symbols is not immediately clear, add a short legend. If color alone is not enough to distinguish elements, support it with line types, symbols, or brief text. Keeping titles and labels consistent with the board’s overall typography can also make readability easier to check. For guidance on type choices, see Choosing fonts for architectural presentations.
Architectural graphic communication includes different representational tools, such as plans, sections, perspectives, and board layouts. The University of Missouri library guide presents Francis D. K. Ching’s Architectural Graphics as a resource covering topics such as multiview drawings, perspective, tone, and presentation layout: Architectural Studies book guide. Consider the diagram’s role among these representational tools; not every drawing type needs to convey the same information.
4. Build the drawing in stages
First place the basic geometry and the context needed for the explanation. Then add the element that shows the main decision, such as the entrance point, mass, or functional zones. If you need to show relationships, use arrows, line weights, or a limited palette. Finally, add the title, labels, and, if needed, a legend. This sequence is a practical way to keep visual elements from taking precedence over the decision.
Instead of giving the drawing a subject-only title such as “Circulation,” try briefly stating the outcome the drawing is meant to explain: “The public entrance connects to the plaza.” Check that the title matches the information shown in the drawing. If the drawing does not show the relationship claimed by the title, make the title more cautious or revise the visual representation.
5. Hypothetical example: neighborhood library
The following example is entirely hypothetical. Suppose you want to explain that the main entrance to a neighborhood library connects to a pedestrian plaza, while the service entrance connects to a rear road. The goal is to show the two access relationships clearly.
Context and decision: Show the plot, plaza, and rear road on a simplified site plan. You could use the title “Visitor and service access are provided from different directions.” Add an arrow from the plaza to the main entrance, and use a different line type for the route from the rear road to the service entrance, explaining it in the legend.
From entrance to function: Show the connections between the main entrance, reception area, and reading spaces in a simple plan diagram. If it is useful to the explanation to show the service route separately, mark it so it can be distinguished from the visitor route. Do not add function labels that are not needed to understand the relationship.
Check: Compare the entrance locations with the project drawing you are using as the basis. Check that the arrows show the approach direction in the drawing, the line types are clear, and the title does not make a claim unsupported by the visual. Since this hypothetical example gives no dimensions, you do not need to add any; if dimensions are needed, use verified project information.
6. Resolve sources of confusion
If the diagram looks like a small copy of the plan, try reducing layers that are unrelated to the decision you want to explain. If arrows overlap or become confusing, distinguish flows with different line styles or remove unnecessary connections. If the meaning of colors or symbols is unclear, add labels or a legend.
If text is unreadable when the board is reduced, check the visual at the intended presentation size; consider shortening labels or moving information to a separate diagram. If the north arrow, boundary, or entrance location is unclear, check the project drawing you are relying on rather than correcting it by guesswork.
The Oklahoma State University library guide associates Diagramming the Big Idea with creating and using diagrams to explain projects, organizing principles, and ideas. The same guide notes that The Architect’s Studio Companion offers design guidance on topics such as building systems, environmental systems, and accessibility: Studio Tools. These resource descriptions do not recommend one diagram type for every project; determine what information is needed based on your own project context.
7. Final checklist
- Does the diagram explain a specific question or design decision?
- Does the title match the information actually shown in the drawing?
- Have information such as orientation, entrance, and boundary been compared with the drawing you are using as the basis?
- Are the meanings of arrows, colors, and symbols clear?
- Have unrelated details and repetitions been reduced?
- Is the visual readable at the intended presentation size?
- Can someone else interpret the diagram using its title and legend?
These checks can help you identify ambiguities; they do not guarantee that every viewer will interpret the diagram in the same way. In particular, compare the project information underlying the decision with the original drawing one final time.
Is a diagram the same as a technical plan?
No. A diagram can be used to explain a specific relationship or design decision in simplified form. A technical plan may have a different purpose and contain different details. You can use both in a presentation; do not assume that a diagram serves the same function as a technical plan.
How many diagrams should I use in a presentation?
These sources do not provide a basis for recommending a fixed number; the choice depends on the questions the presentation needs to answer. Consider whether each diagram has a distinct and necessary explanatory purpose. You may want to combine or remove visuals that repeat the same information.
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