flake-update-20260201

Visualize Workflow

Create visual content to explain concepts, processes, or relationships.

Steps

1. Understand the Content

Ask:

  • What needs to be visualized?
  • What’s the key insight or relationship?
  • Who’s the audience?
  • Where will this be used?

2. Choose the Right Format

Mermaid Diagrams - When you need:

  • Flowcharts (process flows, decision trees)
  • Sequence diagrams (interactions over time)
  • State diagrams (system states and transitions)
  • Class/ER diagrams (relationships)
  • Gantt charts (timelines with tasks)

Tables - When you need:

  • Comparisons (side-by-side evaluation)
  • Feature matrices
  • Decision matrices

ASCII Art - When you need:

  • Terminal-friendly diagrams
  • Code comment diagrams
  • Simple box-and-arrow layouts

Structured Text - When you need:

  • Hierarchies (org charts, file trees)
  • Simple timelines
  • Process steps

3. Create the Visualization

Follow these principles:

  • Clear labels: Every element should be clearly labeled
  • Logical flow: Left-to-right or top-to-bottom
  • Minimal complexity: Only include what’s necessary
  • Consistent style: Use consistent shapes and connections

4. Mermaid Syntax Reference

Flowchart:

flowchart TD
    A[Start] --> B{Decision}
    B -->|Yes| C[Action 1]
    B -->|No| D[Action 2]
    C --> E[End]
    D --> E

Sequence Diagram:

sequenceDiagram
    participant A as Alice
    participant B as Bob
    A->>B: Request
    B-->>A: Response

State Diagram:

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Idle
    Idle --> Processing: Start
    Processing --> Complete: Finish
    Complete --> [*]

5. Present and Refine

  • Show the visualization
  • Explain what it represents
  • Ask if refinements are needed
  • Iterate based on feedback

Output Format

Present the visualization with context:

Here's a [type] diagram showing [what]:

[The actual diagram/visualization]

Key elements:
- [Element 1]: [What it represents]
- [Element 2]: [What it represents]

This visualization shows [the main insight].

Examples by Use Case

Process Flow

Use flowchart when showing steps and decisions

System Architecture

Use flowchart with boxes for components and arrows for data flow

Comparison

Use table format for side-by-side evaluation

Timeline

Use Gantt chart or ordered list depending on complexity

Relationships

Use ER diagram or class diagram for entity relationships