Architectural diagramming is a fun way to organize your thoughts, create new diagrams, or re-organize old ones. You can use them in this form or as part of creating architectural designs.

Architectural drawing has its own set of rules and methods that apply to both 2D drawings and 3D models. Even if you are not trained in architecture, doing some basic di­graphs will help you begin building understanding and skills.

This article will go into detail about different types of diagrams, how to make sure their function is clear, and tips for keeping organized while designing.

If you’re looking to take your design career more seriously, learning basic architectural diagramming is an important tool to have.

Make a plan

The next step in architectural diagram drawing is making a plan. You will need a piece of paper that is at least one yard by two yards for this step. This size paper works best because you can easily draw free-hand shapes onto it, as well as use other tools such as compasses to create smooth curves.

You will also want a ruler that is exactly 1/2″ wide. This makes it easy to measure diagonals when creating your diagrams! Having both of these things will help you produce beautiful architecture drawings every time.

After having all of your necessary tools, make sure to organize them properly before starting to work. This way, you won’t have to search for any of them when needed.

Now that you are ready to start designing, choose an appropriate place to do so. If you like, you can design directly on your computer using software such as Adobe Photoshop or Sketch. Just remember to save your files frequently so they do not get lost.

Alternatively, you can take notes directly on the physical chart using good quality pen and ink.

Decide what type of diagram you want

There are two main types of architectural diagrams, which differ based on the audience they address and how much information they include.

The first is an axis-parallel diagram, also referred to as a parallel coordinate plot or wireframe. These diagrams typically have x and y axes that are either both vertical or both horizontal. The x and y coordinates represent different dimensions such as rooms or walls, and you can use these axes to show relationships between objects.

For example, you could place the office across from your house along the x-axis, and wall in between them along the y-axis. Or you could put the grocery store next to each other along the x-axis and a bridge or hallway along the y-axis. In any case, a person looking at the diagram would know where each object starts and stops, but wouldn’t necessarily understand their relationship to one another.

The second type of diagram is an area chart or 3D representation. Like the previous diagram type, it uses position to indicate size, but people who learn this kind of diagram recognize three dimensional shapes like houses and cubes more easily.

However, area charts take longer to create than parallel coordinate plots because you need to draw lots of lines! To make things faster, you only have to draw very few lines per design, so most computer software will produce area charts by default.

Research software

First, you will need some software that can help you create your diagrams. You do not have to use them for professional purposes, but it is helpful to know how to make use of them. Most people are familiar with Adobe Photoshop because of its ease of use and wide variety of features.

There are many free alternatives to photoshop available as well. Some examples include Gimp which is open source and easy to use, or Inkscape which is designed more like traditional drawing programs than photo editing tools.

These apps can be used to create all sorts of diagram types such as flow charts, Venn diagrams, box diagrams, parallel coordinate plots, etc. The best app may vary depending on what type of diagram you want to make and if you just want to learn how to use it, then pick one that has very limited options so you can add onto it later.

Some apps also allow you to upload your own images or pictures to use as templates, this can save you a lot of time in creating yours.

Plan your diagram

After you have determined what tool to use for creating your diagrams, now is the time to plan yours! If you are using free drawing software such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Drawing, then it is very easy to add shapes and arrows. However, if you want to take your drawings more seriously, then there are some basic ways to do that.

First, make sure your diagram set up is appropriate for the audience it will be seen by. If it is for an elementary school class, then simple diagrams are enough. More complex diagrams should be considered when people have access to technology that can create them. This way they can edit their diagram later and improve upon it.

Second, determine how many details you need in your diagram. Are there just major components or does every wire get labeled? Only include things when necessary unless you have confirmed those basics.

Third, know your diagram types and styles. There are several well-known ones such as Venn diagrams, box diagrams, parallel coordinates, and others. Pick one that fits your needs and study it.

Create your diagram

Once you have determined how you want to organize your project, it’s time to create your diagram! You can now start creating your organization framework or architecture diagram.

You will need a program like PowerPoint, Google Presentations, Keynote, or another software that you can use to easily edit and export images and diagrams. Make sure to test out any programs before investing in one so that you are confident they are easy to use.

Many people begin by drawing shapes and boxes to represent different parts of the project. These parts could be for rooms, furniture, decorations, etc. Then, they determine what materials these components include such as walls, windows, doors, and so on.

After all of those elements are in place, we then connect each element to every other element using lines or arrows. When everything is connected, you get a feel for if there is enough space and where things should go in relation to others.

That is the hardest part! Figuring out the structure takes some brainstorming and re-organizing, but once done, you can relax and work on other aspects of the project.

Edit your diagram

After you create an initial diagram, you can edit it! You can choose to make changes to the arrows, shapes, colors, and text used for the diagram. Some software allows you to start with a plain white canvas and add components such as shapes, colors, and fonts later, which makes editing easier.

Some users and tutorials will suggest practicing by doing so with a simple diagram first, but that is not good advice at all! Editing a more complex diagram takes much longer than editing a simpler one!

There are many ways to edit an architectural diagram, so whatever method feels most comfortable is best. Most software has a settings menu or feature list where you can find this information, too.

Save your diagram

A few basic principles for creating architecture diagrams include saving your diagram as an image or PDF, keeping it in context, and labeling your lines and shapes.

When you share an architect’s drawing with another person, they will not have access to the underlying graphics or tools used to create it. By sharing a high quality document as opposed to just a picture of the map or sketch, people will be able to see clearly what things look like and can edit them if needed.

This is especially important when someone else needs to add detail or rework something! You do not want anyone editing a file that has all the bells and whistles attached to it.

The best way to save this happens is by using vector formats such as.pdf,.eps, or.ai. This means you don’t need special software to open the design, you can use any computer program that supports those files.

You also want to make sure there are no extra icons, decorations, or comments included in the archdiag that may indicate how to modify or work with the file. If there are then it would go out of sync if someone wanted to edit it later.

Publish your diagram

After you are done designing, it is time to publish or distribute your design. You will need to choose either a free website hosting site or a paid domain name that you can use as an archive for your designs.

A good way to protect your work is to use a online tool called Editorial Teamware. This allows you to create an account, upload your files, and then other users can access and edit these files.

This is especially helpful if you plan to collaborate with others on your designs!

Some people also recommend using Glogger or Google Drive to back up all of your files.

These services have special features like protection under someone else’s login, and limited one-click sharing.