draw.io

Date: 17 August 2022

Draw.io is a free and opensource program designed specifically for creating graphics used in industries, such as a flowchart, circuit diagrams, UML diagrams, wireframes of websites and mobile applications.

The application can either run from a web-browser or can be downloaded on the system, from here: Diagram Software and Flowchart Maker

The software UI is minimalistic with customizable toolbars. Upon creating a new file the user can choose from many templates available or can create the diagram from scratch. The toolbar in draw.io offers the symbol packs that can be inserted on the drawing area, which can then be manipulated in different ways to make a diagram. In addition to the icons, connectors are used in the creation of any diagram. The software provides a customization panel on the right side where the nature of the connectors, formatting related to the texts, color schemes can be adjusted. It also allows the creation of diagrams on multiple pages in a single file.

Figure 1 below shows the interface of the application.

Key takeaways:

1. The software is appropriate for creating professional diagrams

2. It offers a better control over the elements of the diagram, and the user can choose from various templates suited for the task.

3. Multiple diagrams can be created in a single file and the figures can be exported in multiple formats, such as an image, or a PDF document.

4. Custom figures can also be created and saved for repeated use.