The Concepts category holds seven graphics for the shapes ideas come in. Each one is a single element that lays out its own rows, so adding a tier or resizing it redraws the whole thing, with nothing to re-cut or realign.
- Layer Stack: bands stacked top to bottom, each with an optional side note. A tech stack, the OSI model, architecture tiers.
- Pyramid: tiers cut from one triangle. A hierarchy of needs, a strategy stack.
- Funnel: bands narrowing downward, each with an optional value. A conversion funnel.
- Cycle: steps round a ring joined by arrows, with a label in the middle. Plan, Do, Check, Act; a flywheel; a release loop.
- Hub and Spoke: satellites round a central hub, joined by spokes. An ecosystem, stakeholders, everything that touches one service. Switch the spokes off under Spokes in its section.
- Onion: concentric rings from a core outward. Clean architecture, trust layers, a maturity model.
- Chevrons: arrow-shaped stages in a row, each pointing into the next, with an optional note under each. A pipeline, a value chain, delivery phases.
Concepts is in the palette in Diagram, Illustrate and Facilitate modes.
Take the tour
The first time you select a layer stack, a pyramid, a funnel, a cycle, a hub and spoke, an onion or a chevron process (every concept graphic), a small Tour toolbar appears beside its toolbar. Press Play for a short tour on your own graphic: its rows, typing over one (and a funnel band's number), adding one from the "+" ring, the menu (a chevron stage's own bar instead), the colour ramp, and its animation played on it (Build, Flow round a cycle's arrows, or Pulse round a hub or out from an onion's core; it is only shown, not added). Press the cross if you would rather not; either way it is not offered again. To be offered it again, open Settings, then Tours, open Element Tours and switch its tour back on.
Editing the rows
Select the graphic, then click a row's words to type in place. Enter keeps the change and Escape puts it back. A layer's side note and a funnel band's value edit the same way.
To add, remove or reorder rows, right-click and open the Rows section, or use Add Layer, Add Tier, Add Step, Add Satellite, Add Ring or Add Stage on the ring round the selected graphic. A stack takes 2 to 8 layers, a pyramid 2 to 6 tiers, a cycle 3 to 8 steps, a hub 3 to 8 satellites, an onion 2 to 6 rings and a chevron process 2 to 8 stages.
A chevron process is edited right on the canvas instead of in a Rows section. Select it and point at a stage: a small bar appears at its top to move the stage left or right, or delete it. If no stage has a note yet, the bar also offers Add Note. On a phone, every stage shows its bar while the graphic is selected.
The first row is the top layer, the top tier (a pyramid's apex, a funnel's widest band) the cycle's first step or the hub's first satellite at twelve o'clock (the rest following clockwise), an onion's core, or a chevron process's first stage on the left. Double-click a cycle or a hub to edit the label in its middle.
Pyramid, inverted or funnel
A Pyramid, an Inverted pyramid and a Funnel are one element in three shapes. Right-click and pick one under Shape in its section to switch, keeping its rows.
Colours
The rows are a ramp from the element's colour: the first row in full, each later one lighter. Each row's words take whichever ink reads best on it. Pick a new colour in Colours and the whole ramp follows, as does a theme switch. A cycle draws its first step solid, to show where the loop starts.
Animation
Concept graphics animate their rows rather than the whole box. Right-click, open Animation and pick one. A graphic with words of its own (a layer stack, pyramid, onion or chevrons) lists Concept and Text there: open Concept for these:
- Build: the rows appear one after another in reading order (a stack top down, a pyramid from its base up, a cycle clockwise, a hub's centre then each satellite, an onion from the core outward, chevrons left to right). It plays once unless you turn on Repeat.
- Pulse: each row lights in turn, then the loop starts again. On a cycle it reads as "we are here" travelling round; on an onion it ripples outward and on chevrons it runs along the stages.
- Flow (cycles only): dashes travel round the arrows in the loop's direction.
Speed sets the pace. Exports, and anyone who has turned on reduced motion, see every row at rest.
The Pyramid, Funnel and Flywheel templates are built on these elements, so they make a quick starting point with worked content.
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