Making Flowcharts Is Actually Fun
Online software options grow with the development of Flowchart.com. Searching for a new way to enhance documents or to create charts for business needs? Flowchart.com has several options you can use for that and more! Unlike some applications that need plug-ins, other software, and/or require a download Flowchart.com has an easy to use interface and nothing else is needed! Just register and you are ready to start creating your charts.
Chart Manager
Upon logging in, you will be presented with the Chart Manager. This section organizes your charts, displays thumbnails of new and existing templates and shared charts.
Design a new chart or use one of the several existing templates:
Engineering
Flowcharts
Mind maps
Networks
Organizational charts
Project Management
Within each template category, there are thumbnail samples that can be seen by hovering over each one. If you design a new chart, you can make it a template, too. Once you choose a chart, then you are given options to customize it such as add a chart name, choose options for page size and set the DPI.
My Images
My Images allows you to upload images for your charts and for sharing with others. You can also browse and choose images uploaded from other users. Uploading JPEG images is discouraged in favor of using PNG for bitmaps and SVG for vector graphics. This area seemed very lacking in content, but I assume once live this deficit will disappear. Users can even add a price for their images if they choose. If you do not have a need for charts, you could make some money by selling your images! However, the terms and conditions have not been added yet, so I am not certain as to the specifics.
Design Area
The design area is a real time editor and it displays typical word processing options with additional flowchart features for lines and shapes. Since I felt a little let down in the My Images section, seeing the large selection of clip art and other objects was appealing.
The collaborate feature was pretty impressive. Individuals working on team projects, especially when they are not located in the same area, should find this convenient. When collaborating, the changes one user makes can be seen by the other and they can discuss it in the chat environment.
Another nice feature was the preview window, in which the document remains intact as you move the preview window around to view various areas. The inability to see the entire document in the design area was frustrating, but the creators of the site assure users that they are working on a fix to this for version 2.0. This feature also has a Properties tab for details on selected images/objects such as position and size. The History tab is a nice addition to the application. After getting carried away with too many changes/additions, having this feature is reassuring. With one click, you can go back to a certain point and the changes are erased. For most instances like that, this can be a lifesaver.
The features were user friendly and the site design simple but effective. There is a nicely developed demo on their home page, I recommend checking that out for a visual demonstration of the features of Flowchart.com. Overall, the benefits seemed to outweigh the drawbacks. Once the site goes live I expect users will find few, if any, negatives. This application should enhance user experience in creating flowcharts without the need to purchase new software, download plug ins or any type of file.