Perspective is everything

Humanity has come leaps and bounds with advanced technology, medical breakthroughs, and artistic and cultural revolutions. Over the course of history, pioneers have accomplished spectacular achievements, setting the stage for us today and paving the way for advancements that infuse every possible aspect of life.

In our last blogpost of the In-Shape series, we have curated 5 diagrams that have revolutionized the way we think, feel, and visualize, and discover their continued impact on humankind today.

Enter: draw.io’s Diagram Hall of Fame!

1. da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man: A symbol of harmony

Considered to be one of the all-time iconic images of Western civilization, da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man represents the “perfect man”, inspired by the writings of the Roman architect Vitruvius.^[1] The drawing captures the concepts of balance, harmony, and the perfect ideals of the human form. Its enduring popularity since its creation captivates and inspires people even today, and has ensured its place in our Diagram Hall of Fame.

Due to the fragility of the original drawing, it cannot be exposed to light for extended periods of time, and it is usually kept in a climate-controlled, locked room on the fourth floor of the Accademia Gallery in Venice.^[2] In 2019, there was even a petition to ban the drawing from being transported to The Louvre, to mark the 500-year anniversary of the death of Leonardo.^[3] (Fortunately, your draw.io diagrams are expertly preserved and showcased in Confluence, safe from the perils of time, oxygen, and light from spoiling their pristine condition!)

The Golden Ratio

Balance and harmony are often subtle, but essential aspects of visualizing effectively. Get the proportions wrong or inconsistent, and it detracts from the central focus of your diagram.

With draw.io you are able to maintain aspect ratios of your shapes while resizing them. Simply click on a shape, head to the Arrange tab in the right side menu, and check the box, “Constrain proportions”. For an even quicker way to do this, see our shortcut video, How to keep shapes proportional and centered while resizing in draw.io.

2. CO2 Scrubber from Apollo 13: Accounting for every eventuality

When we hear “Apollo 13”, one of the first things likely to spring to mind is the 1995 movie. In the movie, as in real life, an explosion cripples the Apollo 13 spacecraft, resulting in the three astronauts using the Lunar Module for much of the return flight. The problem? The Lunar Module was designed only for two astronauts, adding a third to the spacecraft would result in a fatal overabundance of carbon dioxide.

Mission Control and the crew had a seemingly insurmountable challenge: to keep the three astronauts alive on their return voyage. Complicating things even further was that Mission Control based in Houston was unable to send pictures to the crew. They therefore had to describe everything in detail verbally, and hope the astronauts got the picture. NASA’s engineers put their heads together to come up with a workaround, using command module scrubbers available in the lunar module.^[4]

Key learnings

In business as in life, nothing is plain sailing, and things can and do go wrong. Accounting for all eventualities helps mitigate the risks to an extent, but equally important is learning from critical incidents: what went well, and what can we do in future to reduce risk, prevent repeating mistakes, and improve?

Our blogpost, draw.io for Agile Retrospectives, provides a variety of templates for you to use. They will help guide your team retrospectives, ensuring these are productive meetings where no stone has been left unturned, no man left behind as each colleague has had their voice heard, and your processes are optimized to be absolutely out of this world!

3. Copernicus’ Heliocentric Model: Turning what we know on its head

Copernicus (1473–1543) was a mathematician and astronomer who proposed that the Earth and the other planets revolve around the Sun, which remains motionless at the center of the universe. This is a fact that is taught in schools, and few would question today. However, it was highly controversial at the time, going against everything we’d understood before, namely Ptolemy’s geocentric model that placed Earth at the center of the universe. As a result, most astronomers remained unconvinced by Copernicus’ model for centuries, right up until about 1700^[5].

Fortunately, later on, with a little help from our friends Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler, the heliocentric model gained wider acceptance and eventually became the foundation of modern astronomy that we know today.

Challenge your way of seeing things

It’s good to challenge the status quo and our usual way of thinking. This exercise can test the robustness of ideas we would like to go ahead with, as well as ensure what we are currently doing is up to scratch. For a fun, “flipped” way to brainstorm that will challenge the way you approach tasks, check out our template below: 6-3-5 Brainwriting.

1. Open Confluence.
2. Open draw.io (blank diagram).
3. Drag & drop your XML file into your blank drawing area.
4. Use it as a custom template if you like.

4. Moses Harris’ Color Wheel: Putting theory into practice

Moses Harris (15 April 1730–1787) was a naturalist, entomologist, and engraver. He was also an accomplished artist, with his drawings of insects featured at the Royal Academy in 1785.^[6] All of these aspects of his life and career set the backdrop for the development of his color wheel, and was meant to serve as a practical guide for artists.^[7] Primarily, it represents how a range of colors can be created from red, yellow, and blue.^[8] The wheel consists of a circular arrangement of colors, typically six or seven, illustrating their relationships and organization.

Drawing on his knowledge of nature, Harris’ descriptions for colors were based on substances, fruits, or flowers:

Source: Lowengard, Object Studies: Hand-Colored Engraving

Although more modern versions of the color wheel have been developed since, Harris’ color model had far-reaching implications. It paved the way for the development of revised color systems, which continue to be used in art schools and artistic environments today.^[9]

Add a splash of color to your diagrams

In draw.io, there are plenty of text, image, and color customization options for you to play with, in order to create bespoke diagrams and whiteboards tailored to your and your organization’s needs. For more information, see our blogpost, Customise default colours, fonts, styles and the draw.io UI in Confluence Cloud.

5. Watson and Crick’s DNA Model: Laying the foundations

Last, but certainly not least, the final diagram featured in our Hall of Fame: Waston and Crick’s DNA Model. Plenty of scientists were racing round the clock to crack the compositional code of DNA and how it was structured, but it was ultimately Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, and Maurice Wilkins who co-discovered the double-helix structure. Watson, Crick, and Wilkins went on to be awarded the Nobel Prize for the discovery.^[10][11]

The double helix structure is synonymous with our understanding of the human genome and how life can exist, and has had a fundamental impact on modern science and medicine.

Scientific discoveries seldom tend to result in a clearly-defined, “eureka” moment, and it’s important to take a step back and consider how this revolutionary DNA model developed over time. “Scientific discoveries may seem like sudden breakthroughs — the work of a genius who just “sees” the answer — but new findings don’t come out of nowhere. Each breakthrough is made possible by the work that came before it. Some scientific discoveries are a bit like putting together the pieces of a puzzle.”^[12]

Building on strong foundations

Like scientific discoveries relying on a clearly defined model of DNA, the best diagrams are those that are clear to read and built on strong foundations. To avoid your diagram from becoming too confusing and cluttered, you can use layers to build up your draw.io diagrams from simple to complex. This also gives your diagram viewers the ability to choose the level of detail they need to see.

To find out how to build your diagram using layers, see our blogpost, Interactive diagrams with custom links and actions.

Your breakthrough discovery

These diagrams and visualizations were designed by innovators with a vision, and founded on countless breakthroughs and ideas leading up to their pinnacle discovery.

We hope the diagrams featured in our Hall of Fame inspire you to visualize something truly remarkable, and possibly even come up with the next big breakthrough…*

*And if you do, do make sure to give credit to draw.io when you become massively successful!

Resources

[1] Gorman, M. J., The Vitruvian Man

[2] Ruiz, C., If Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man goes on show at the Louvre, we won’t see it again for a decade

[3] Solly, M., Leonardo’s ‘Vitruvian Man’ Is Headed to the Louvre Despite Italian Scholars’ Protests

[4] Space Center Houston, Apollo 13 Infographic: How did they make that CO2 scrubber?

[5] Gringerich, O., The Book Nobody Read: Chasing the Revolutions of Nicolaus Copernicus

[6] Natural History Museum, Moses Harris (1730- c.1788)

[7] Royal Academy of Arts, The Natural System of Colours

[8] Silvestrini, N., Moses Harris

[9] Briggs, D., The RYB hue circle or “artists’ colour wheel”

[10] Science History Institute, Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, and Maurice Wilkins

[11] Cobb, M., and Comfort, N., What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure

[12] Stuart, S., The right timing

En route to Victory Road

Button-bashing is fun and all, but in reality, game strategy is where it’s at. Whether you’re leading your team to victory in League of Legends, outmaneuvering opponents in Fortnite, or up against a particularly nasty raid boss in World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy, your success inevitably depends on the preparation and game plan you have put together beforehand.

Developing a winning strategy takes forethought, cunning, and careful planning. From obtaining that key loot you’ve wanted for so long, to climbing the precious League Elo ladder, it’s important to visualize the steps you will take on the path to victory, and what better way to visualize this than with draw.io!

In this blogpost, let draw.io be your trusty steed, speedrunning you to the Winners Circle. We’ll show how you can take your gaming strategy to the next level, and make your future gameplay better coordinated, more collaborative, and more efficient.

1. Hone your game plan with swimlane diagrams

Unlike Leeroy Jenkins, you probably don’t want to run into battle headfirst, with no plan on how to execute your strategy, or who will be responsible for what.

Swimlane diagrams are a great way to visualize complex strategies in a simple and organized manner. They’re ideal for mapping out rotations that involve multiple players or stages with different responsibilities. They enable you to plan ahead, and ensure everyone on your team is aligned and knows their role in the upcoming fight.

Use swimlanes to represent different players or roles in an MMORPG like World of Warcraft, and symbols to depict the actions and interactions between them.

A swimlane diagram for planning a WoW boss fight

2. Develop your game sense with Fatality flowcharts

Game sense is not as simple as “practice makes perfect”. While this will help your reaction time and increase the speed with which you make decisions, analyzing your previous games and comparing them with how others compete will take your gameplay to the next level. The deeper you develop your understanding of a game’s mechanics, along with your objectives, strategies, and interactions, the more you will increase your game sense.

draw.io empowers gamers to craft diagrams depicting potential flank routes, chokepoints, and optimal ultimate ability combinations. You can use visualizations to dissect replays, and highlight crucial instances where game sense played a pivotal role, from predicting enemy pathing to anticipating an opponent’s strategy.

A flowchart is ideal for illustrating the decision-making process and the sequence of actions. Use different shapes and colors to highlight certain actions, like movement or abilities. Connectors will guide those viewing the diagram through the steps that will signify the flow of gameplay. Things like decision splits, branches, and conditional actions can also be depicted in your flowchart.

A flowchart depicting the Overwatch fatality gameplay loop

3. Collaborate with your teammates on your strategy map

In games like WoW, FF Online, ESO, etc., teamwork is absolutely essential, and collaboration is everything. The more in-tune you and your teammates are, the better your chances of a coordinated effort resulting in success. That’s what gaming headsets were developed for in the first place, right? (Not to badmouth everyone because you’re sore your group wiped).

Create a strategy map in draw.io that you can quickly share with your raiding guild, for everyone to add their ideas to. You and your team are able to collaborate on your strategy in real time: simply jump on Discord, share your diagram with your group, and get visualizing! Everyone has the chance to capture their ideas, suggestions and comments, and see and interact with what their teammates are adding. This truly synergizing experience with your team means no one is left behind on your journey to success.

A multipage diagram here is perfect for this: on one page, you have your strategy map, on the next, you have your schedule and roster for your guild, all stored within one central diagram.

Page 1 of a multipage diagram depicting a strategy map: player vs. player battleground

Page 2 of a multipage diagram depicting the team roster

4. Use Foresight to create mind maps for community engagement

You might have recently begun your content creator journey and are starting to stream your games on Twitch. Or you might be a seasoned coach, providing tips to gamers on an international playing field to help them get good. In either case, fostering community engagement is often a pain point for gamers. You try and reach viewers, but your channel just isn’t growing.

Fear not! With draw.io, you can create stunning mind maps to provide your followers with valuable insights into your gaming tips and tricks. By actively and regularly sharing loadouts, strategies, game sense, spawns, etc. with your audience, you give them exclusive access and privileged insight that will allow them to learn from you, and from each other.

Not only will you inspire your viewers to use and share these resources themselves, you will ultimately cultivate community engagement and create an enriching gaming experience for everyone.

A mind map to come up with ways to boost community engagement

A Paradigm Shift in your game strategy

The four diagrams above are just a glimpse into the versatility of visualization that is possible with draw.io. From refining tournament strategies to fostering community engagement, draw.io offers a suite of tools and features to elevate your gameplay, along with a shift in your way of imagining, planning and executing your strategy.

Embark on your journey to glory, with draw.io by your side!

Want to dive deeper into the world of draw.io? Access our linktr.ee page to follow us on social media and learn how others use draw.io, as well as pick up some helpful tips and tricks.

Personal Training for your diagrams

We’ve all seen it – a bad diagram. One that is overcomplicated with lots of symbols and text (and, dare I say it, emojis), where it’s not clear which direction the process flows, the start and end are not easy to distinguish, and what the diagram is actually supposed to represent went missing long ago.

Can you spot all the mistakes?

Diagrams are meant to convey complex information quickly, clearly and concisely. They lose their intended message when they are cluttered, have poor layout, are ambiguous and inconsistent, and don’t provide enough context.

Whether you’re creating a simple flowchart, or more complex ERD and UML diagrams, in this blogpost we’ll show you how to make your diagrams, faster, more accurate, and more powerful, while avoiding common mistakes when building them.

1. Know your diagram goal

Before you start building your diagram, it’s important to first determine what the goal of your diagram is. Is it to show a process from beginning to end? Is it to show the relationships between employees in an organization?

Knowing the goal of your diagram allows you to choose the best diagram type for your needs. It also helps you initially refine ideas, so that the scope of your diagram isn’t too broad.

All steps within the process should be sketched out with this initial goal in mind.  You may find at this stage that you have multiple processes that link together. In this case, it is helpful to break these down into processes and subprocesses.

To avoid trying to display all of the processes together and cluttering up your diagram, it is a good idea to separate them out across different pages. draw.io enables you to have multipage diagrams, where you and your team can see each subprocess on an individual page, while the entire process is stored in one central diagram embedded in Confluence.

A multipage diagram

2. Know who your spectators are

Another key question to consider beforehand is: who will be accessing your diagram? Will it be developers, project managers, internal or external stakeholders? Your diagram should be tailored to your audience, and their level of specialist knowledge regarding your diagram content.

For example, it is likely that a UML diagram you create will not be appropriate for project managers or other non-technical departments. In this case, it is helpful to present the information in a different way in a separate diagram, to make this accessible to these groups.

The same diagram with varying levels of detail

3. Only the highlights: choose the right level of detail

Following on from defining your diagram audience, one common problem when creating diagrams is overcomplication, and including too much information in one go.

However, the opposite is also true: oversimplifying your diagram can lead to misunderstandings. For example, in a user flow diagram, what happens when the user doesn’t perform an action? Without a decision split in this case, it’s unclear what happens in both eventualities: when the user does perform the action, and when they do not.

Use decision splits to show paths a user can take, depending on whether or not they perform an action

The key here is to be aware of which information your audience actually needs to know, for the diagram to make logical sense.

In draw.io, you can use layers to manage the level of detail your diagram displays. This makes your diagram interactive, allowing viewers to toggle layers on or off, depending on whether they need to view more or less information.

For guidance on how to add layers and a template for you to download, see Interactive diagrams with custom links and actions.

4. Consistency: The real MVP

Consistency is key with diagrams. Having a uniform color scheme, even and sufficient spacing between shapes, appropriate connectors, and a clear structure, all contribute to your diagram expressing exactly what you want it to.

Knowing which shapes to use and when is also a critical factor in order to represent things like delays in a process and decision splits. These are often signified by the shape type themselves, saving your diagram from becoming inundated with text. For information on which shapes to use for a standard flowchart, see How to create flowcharts in draw.io.

If you want a headstart on a clear and consistent layout, draw.io’s templates will get your diagram up and running in no time. When you create a new diagram, the template library will open by default. Use the search bar on the left to locate a specific diagram type, or use our Smart Templates to add your specifications and produce an AI-generated diagram.

Use the search bar to quickly locate diagram templates

If you are building technical diagrams, UML, ERD, and BPMN for example all have specific notation and shape conventions to follow. Luckily, draw.io has extensive and up-to-date shape libraries that conform to these notation standards, including UML 2.5 and BPMN 2.0.

UML 2.5 and UML shape library

5. Instant diagram replay

Last but not least: it’s vital to keep your diagrams up-to-date! This ensures anyone in your Confluence space accessing the diagram knows that they’re viewing the latest version.

draw.io’s Revision History, and Confluence’s Page History, will do a lot of the work for you. Anyone with the correct permissions can go into a draw.io diagram on a Confluence page, and see when this was last updated. If they go into edit mode in the diagram itself, the revision history will show them when it was last modified.

draw.io Revision History

Confluence Page History

A great idea is to set a reminder in your work calendar to periodically check on those important diagrams that other teams and stakeholders are actively using as a reference or collaborating on. Depending on the diagram, this could be set as a monthly or quarterly reminder.

Game, Set and Match

Employing these tips will ensure your diagrams have a clear purpose, a defined audience in mind, the right level of detail, are consistently formatted, and are up-to-date. This will make your diagrams even more powerful and convey the exact message that you want to get across.

For more industry-specific on how to optimize your diagrams, see:

• I draw.io – Three ways to improve your UML diagrams
• 3 tips to improve patient workflows with draw.io

Want to dive deeper into the world of draw.io? Access our linktr.ee page to follow us on social media and learn how others use draw.io, as well as pick up some helpful tips and tricks.

Get your head in the game

Team Playbooks are a great way to orchestrate workshops, and get colleagues on board and involved in discussions. Their purpose is to provide a framework for teams to work on specific areas, such as holding retrospectives, and dependency mapping.

With Atlassian’s Roles and Responsibilities Playbook, at the click of a button you have a Confluence Template loaded and ready for your team workshop on defining roles and responsibilities.

In this blogpost, we’ll show you how adding draw.io diagrams to your Playbooks will take them to the next level, and provide the platform for an efficient meeting that keeps a full track record of what’s been discussed and decided as a team.

draw.io and Team Playbooks: a perfect match

When you add diagrams to your Playbook Confluence Template, you provide your team with everything they need to participate in a workshop that is visual and productive. Here’s how:

• Everything is stored in your single source of truth: your draw.io diagram, along with the documentation from your roles and responsibilities workshop, is all stored centrally within the Confluence, available for anyone to access and edit at any time.

• Empowering real-time collaboration: you and your team are able to work on the diagram simultaneously. This is particularly useful for Playbook workshops with remote and hybrid teams working across the globe.

• Revision history keeps a record of all changes: consult the revision history in your draw.io diagram to see all previous versions of that diagram. Here you are able to see what’s changed and when, for example, if you want to locate information that went missing during the collaboration process. Plus, the good news is that if you revert the diagram to a previous version in draw.io, the Confluence Template and page history it is stored within will remain unaffected.

How to add a RACI Chart to your Template

The example below shows a RACI Chart that has been created at the top of the Roles and Responsibilities Confluence Template. This RACI Chart was the outcome of a roles and responsibilities workshop, and all the information that was used to inform the Chart is available below in the Confluence page.

To add a RACI Chart to the Roles and Responsibilities Template:

1. In your Confluence space, click on Templates, locate the Roles and Responsibilities Play, and then click Use template.

2. The Confluence Template looks like this:

3. Gather your team and follow the Instructions for running this Play.

4. When you want to add a draw.io whiteboard to the page, in the Confluence edit mode, start typing “/draw.io” and select draw.io Board.

5. To create a table, head to the plus (+) icon in the left sidebar, hover over Table, and choose the number of columns and rows you wish to have.

6. Invite your team to collaborate on the diagram, in real time or asynchronously.

Teammates collaborating on the RACI Chart in real time

7. The example below shows the finalized RACI Chart, built from the outcome of the team workshop.

The completed RACI Chart, embedded in the Confluence page

Recording the highlights

The Roles and Responsibilities Confluence page now serves as a full record for your team: capturing the workshop discussion, and the resulting RACI Chart that will be used to further define the individual roles within the team.

Tip: If you want to save this diagram as a template to use time and time again in future meetings, see our related blogpost, Add draw.io diagrams into Confluence page templates.

By seamlessly integrating draw.io diagrams into your Confluence Playbook Templates, you empower real-time collaboration and ensure that all team members are on the same page at every step of the way. With draw.io’s revision history, you can track changes and refer back to previous versions as and when needed. What’s more, everything is securely collaborated on and stored in your single source of truth: Confluence.

So, what are you waiting for? Take your Playbook Templates to the next level with draw.io diagrams!

Kick off your draw.io journey

Want to dive deeper into the world of draw.io? Access our linktr.ee page to follow us on social media and learn how others use draw.io, as well as pick up some helpful tips and tricks.

Adapting to your teams’ needs

If you’re planning on migrating from Server to Cloud or Data Center, this is the time to consider your options and reevaluate the current tools you are using. Maybe you are paying a lot for an app that isn’t delivering enough value for you and your teams, or you have a legacy app lying around that is no longer used, and no one’s quite sure what it does… The key is you want apps in your toolset that are intuitive and adapt to the needs of your team, so that you’re not faced with having to create more and more workarounds to achieve exactly what you want.

In this final blogpost of our migration campaign, we look at the process of migrating from Gliffy to draw.io. We look at how easy it is to make the switch, and provide information on determining which app is right for you, specifically regarding how the two apps compare.

Migrating from Gliffy to draw.io is simple

Let’s face it, it’s often a pain to migrate from one system to another, whether that’s from Server to Cloud, or from one diagramming tool to a new one.

We understand this at draw.io, and with this in mind we’ve designed our Gliffy mass import tool to be as straightforward as possible. Our troubleshooting guide will see you right, plus, we’re always on hand to support if you have questions or run into any stumbling blocks.

If you have decided to migrate to draw.io from Gliffy, our mass migrator tool will convert all your diagrams in a few simple steps.

Pre-migration

Some key things to check, before you begin:

• Have the latest version of draw.io and Gliffy installed.
• Ensure the Administrator performing the migration has the necessary write permissions across all spaces beforehand.
• Perform the mass import in a test instance first!

During migration

Once you’re ready to migrate, it’s best to perform the actual migration outside of your company’s working hours, to keep diagram and Confluence page edits to a minimum during the process.

Post-migration

Once you have migrated, all of your data is preserved in Confluence. A new page version is created, with Gliffy macros replaced by draw.io macros containing the converted diagram. The original files are still attached to the Confluence page and remain unchanged, meaning even after migrating and converting your diagrams, the page revision history where the diagram is embedded is still preserved.

For a full step-by-step guide to follow as you’re migrating your diagrams, see our related post, Mass import from Gliffy to draw.io.

Which app is right for you?

When switching diagramming apps, you want to make sure that your decision to switch to draw.io is the right one.

We are known and trusted in the Atlassian Ecosystem as the number #1 diagramming app for Confluence and Jira. We are the top-reviewed Confluence app in the whole Marketplace, and in the current year 2024, we have over 68K installs of draw.io for Confluence Cloud (in contrast, Gliffy has less than a third of this, with just over 22K). We also offer a competitive price-performance ratio.

We are constantly innovating and updating:

• In addition to our diagram editor, customers can use our whiteboarding macro at no extra cost. This gives you the choice to diagram using the classic editor, or the whiteboard editor for a more streamlined interface. This is ideal for processes like brainstorming ideas, as well as Agile frameworks like check-ins, and Inspect and Adapt.
• Last year also saw the advent of:
  • Smart Templates, empowering users to generate custom diagramming templates using AI and machine learning. Specify your parameters and build custom diagrams in seconds: flowcharts, ERDs, Sequence Diagrams, and more.
  • Dark mode, enabling users to diagram the way that they want – to reduce strain on the eyes, save some battery, or simply for the aesthetics.

For an extensive comparison of draw.io and Gliffy that covers features and usability, see our guide here: Diagramming in Confluence – A comparison of the two leading diagramming apps draw.io and Gliffy.

As a consequence of this innovation, we have seen sustained growth. Recently Contegix assessed which apps have grown the most over the past month in order to, “…shine a light on products that more and more customers are finding value in while also acknowledging the outstanding vendors fueling this vibrant marketplace.”

The numbers speak for themselves:

Source: Contegix, Fastest Growing Paid Atlassian Marketplace Apps – February 2024.

What our users have to say

Last but certainly not least, we look at what our users say who made the switch from Gliffy to draw.io:

“We used Gilffy for 10+ years and as of January 2021 we decided move to draw.io. We migrate all our 6000+ Gliffy diagrams in our Confluence workspaces to draw.io and we are ready to go – very fast, smooth and transparent migration path. There is a number of reasons for this decision and we are happy that we are making this move. Its not just much more friendly pricing for large teams but also excellent support, rich features, stability and good performance with large diagrams what we are going to benefit from in the years to come.”

– Peter Kobes

“We were missing some important features when using Gliffy. To create diagrams that included our corporate identity font, we had to use Visio. Using two applications at the same time was too cumbersome and too expensive. So we looked for a solution where we could store our font, our icons and our company colors. To be considered, a replacement application had to perform more efficiently.”

– Nina Breu, Senior Software Engineer

Weighing up the pros and cons

Ultimately, the apps you decide on need to work for you. When switching diagramming apps, it’s important to weigh up the factors for and against each tool, to make an informed decision on which app is going to benefit your teams the most in the long term.

draw.io stands out because:

• We hold the top position in the Atlassian marketplace, earning the trust of numerous users.
• We consistently innovate, e.g. introducing features like whiteboarding and Smart Templates.
• We offer the highest diagramming security and customer support.
• Users who have made the switch know and love draw.io, and have never looked back.

Once you’re ready to make the switch, our mass importer will quickly get all of your Gliffy diagrams converted to draw.io.

If you’re thinking of making a switch and want to compare, start your free 30-day trial today, and discover how draw.io’s enables teams to visualize the way they want.

Want to dive deeper into the world of draw.io? Access our linktr.ee page to follow us on social media and learn how others use draw.io, as well as pick up some helpful tips and tricks.

The Number #1 rated app

draw.io has a number of impressive feats, including:

• 99% of the Fortune 500 use our app;
• We have more installs and more users than any other Atlassian app;
• We are the #1 rated diagramming app on the Atlassian Marketplace for Confluence and Jira.

The underlying reason for this is that people know and trust our app: they know that their data is in safe hands, and expect a versatile tool that delivers, as well as high-quality support with their diagramming and visualization needs.

If you’re thinking about switching tools and are looking for a solution that can do it all, then read on! Below, we take a look at why so many users choose draw.io in Confluence and Jira over other diagramming tools that are not in the Atlassian ecosystem:

Visualize in your single source of truth

The primary reason that many companies use Confluence and Jira is not just because they are powerful knowledge and project management tools, but because they abide by high security standards. For organizations looking to ensure their data remains secure, and to maintain audit trails for compliance purposes, Confluence and Jira offer the perfect solution.

When using the draw.io app, your diagram data is stored as attachments within Confluence/Jira. This keeps all your diagrams secure, embedded within your single source of truth. It also saves you time and money in the long run by eliminating the pain point of having multiple apps to fulfill a purpose.

If you want to visualize within your Confluence/Jira space, and keep these visualizations within the Confluence documentation or Jira issue that they belong to, you can. Your colleagues will thank you too, as it cuts out the frustration of having to locate diagrams stored elsewhere on other platforms or webpages.

Choose to create a new diagram from scratch, or embed existing diagrams that you have created in other Confluence pages.

Choose to create a new diagram, or embed an existing one

If you embed an existing diagram in multiple Confluence pages and want to make changes, you will be taken to the original version of the diagram, and any changes will automatically apply to all the other embedded versions.

Clicking on the Go to containing page icon will open the Confluence page containing the original diagram in a new window

Secure diagramming

A big concern for users is ensuring their diagramming data is safe. For small and large enterprises alike, company data is precious. The risk of data mismanagement and security breaches increases the more tools you use. Therefore, the reassurance that their number one visualization tool is keeping their diagrams and whiteboards safe is why so many users choose draw.io.

We conform to the highest enterprise-grade security and privacy standards, so users can rest assured that their data is in safe hands. When you work on a draw.io diagram in Confluence/Jira, Data Center or Cloud, you have full control over your data, as this is stored as page attachments within the Confluence page or Jira issue that the diagram or whiteboard is embedded in.

Revision history

This is also a powerful feature for your audits. In addition to Confluence’s in-built page history, there is versioning in the draw.io app itself, enabling you to see exactly who made changes and when. You are then able to revert diagrams if someone has made unwanted changes to a diagram, without affecting the Confluence page the diagram is embedded in.

Revision history in draw.io

Access control

Another problem users face is controlling who they share diagrams with. Often, the platform they are using provides an “all-or-nothing” solution: either everyone has access, or no one does.

People want full control over their diagrams and the information that accompanies them. Especially on things like Confluence pages for example, which contain sensitive information that not everyone in the company requires access to.

Fortunately, with your draw.io diagrams stored on specific Confluence pages, you are able to control on a granular level who has access to which information. Choose who has editing access, or who only has viewing access, to the relevant Confluence pages and embedded diagrams – this can be done on an individual or team-wide level.

Control who has view/edit access to a specific Confluence page

Diagramming or whiteboarding? Why not both?

With draw.io, you don’t have to choose between diagramming or whiteboarding capabilities. When you use draw.io in Confluence/Jira, you have diagramming AND whiteboarding, all in one app. You have access to all the same features in both.

This suits teams across the board, from engineering and software development, right through to marketing and HR. Each individual in every team can use the editor that best suits them: the original diagram editor or our whiteboard editor, depending on their visualization needs and which interface they prefer.

The “classic” draw.io diagram editor

The whiteboard editor

Search for text within diagrams

Easily find your diagrams using Atlassian’s in-built Confluence Search function. Text you add to your diagrams is indexed and searchable, so you can use the Confluence search bar to locate diagrams using specific search terms.

Tip: use the advanced search and filter by Type > draw.io Diagrams to bring up diagram-related searches only.

Search for text in your diagrams using the Confluence search bar

Cloud-specific advantages

Data residency:

Atlassian has implemented data residency options for Confluence and Jira Cloud. This means that all of the primary data stored in your Confluence and/or Jira instance will reside on servers in your chosen region.

For more information, see our blogpost, Introducing Data Governance in our Standard draw.io plan for Confluence Cloud.

Lockdown data:

If you want to prevent all data traffic apart from that between your browser and your Atlassian Cloud server, you can use the Lockdown function in the draw.io configuration to do so.

Invite guests to Confluence:

Working with users outside of your organization? You can invite up to 5 guests per paying user to collaborate in Confluence.

For more information, see Invite guests to use draw.io with you in Confluence Cloud.

Collaborative editing:

Collaborate on diagrams with your colleagues synchronously. Any changes made by multiple teammates are saved automatically. “@-mention” your teammates on Confluence pages containing your diagrams, to add a comment and notify them.

Notify your teammates in Confluence pages using “@-mention”

Data Center-specific advantages

Everything behind your firewall:

If you opt for Data Center, your data is stored in a self-managed environment, behind your firewall. This gives you full control over everything like security controls, update releases, and infrastructure choices.

Control over updates:

You have control over what happens when, as you are responsible for manually installing any maintenance and version upgrades.

The one tool for every team

draw.io’s standing in the Atlassian Marketplace is very much built on the trust of its users. If you are looking for a solution for your company that:

• stores your diagrams and whiteboards within your single source of truth (Confluence or Jira), without needing to leave the platform you’re working in to access these;
• is a versatile tool that allows you to diagram, whiteboard, and visualize the way that you want;
• offers tight security, protecting your diagramming data while allowing you to collaborate with specific members in and outside of your organization;

then draw.io is the solution for you and your team!

Want to try draw.io for free?

Making peace with Atlassian Server end of support

To commemorate Atlassian Server coming to an end, and all the years it has been a steadfast companion for many Confluence and Jira users, we decided to build a Zen garden, in its memory. Support for Server products will end on February 15, 2024 – find out what this means for you.

Server has been instrumental for all sorts of companies from non-profits to global tech giants for decades, offering them an on-premise, secure solution to document and share knowledge, boost productivity, and perform at scale. It’s transformed how we build, deploy, and manage applications today. For Atlassian specifically, it’s laid the foundations to develop their Cloud-first strategy as well as its Data Center provision.

Getting started

With end of support taking place this week, it felt like an appropriate time to celebrate the importance of Server with a memorial. The Zen garden is situated in our office here in Wiesbaden, Germany. It will serve not only as a long-lasting dedication to Server, but also as a space for people to pause and reflect, and be an area that everyone can enjoy for their own reasons.

Rather fortuitously, the Zen garden build coincided with a visit from a couple of our colleagues from the US and Canada, who were also willing to get their hands dirty and lend a helping hand!

We learned a lot along the way of building the garden. Below, we take a look at the hard work that went into the planning and building, and what our key takeaways were from the experience.

The steps involved

Our first step was to work with our Space Creator Team to find the right space for the Zen garden. The result was a corner of the roof terrace, approximately 10 square feet in size, that would fit the bill.

Finding a place for the Zen garden

The next step was deciding on the right plants and decoration for the garden. Of course color, maintenance, and how much the plants will grow were all factors considered – but most importantly – which will thrive in the variable and inclement German weather conditions! We also decided on a lantern ornament in keeping with the overall theme, and to tie the garden together.

The space we used had very specific dimensions in a right-angled alcove, so to visualize our Zen garden we turned to the one tool that could serve our purposes – our very own draw.io!

Planning the Zen garden layout and features in draw.io

With the location decided and a blueprint of the garden, we turned to our trusty Subject Matter Expert, Basti who, it turns out, is also a subject expert on Zen gardens! He took a trip to the DIY store to purchase the supplies we would need.

Our more practical team members then got building the Zen garden foundations.

A Ryoba saw seemed very fitting for the occasion!

Once the foundations were down and the gravel and soil added, it was time to roll up our sleeves and get potting!

As members of the team potted the plants, it was interesting to see who in the team seemed to be more experienced with gardening – some would carefully break up the roots and embed the plant deep into the soil; others just popped the plant straight into the ground!

Putting our new-found friend, “Drake”, to good use

The final touches

With the Zen garden complete, it was time to take stock and see how our hard work had paid off.

Our Social Media Coordinator, Charis, took the final video footage of the finished Zen garden, which felt uncannily like some kind of technological baptism for the garden.

The completed Zen garden

A time to pause and reflect

We learned a number of things along the way: the value of hard work, and the pride we can all feel in the finished piece from the fruits of our labor. That teamwork makes things go much more smoothly, and lastly, that the Zen garden is an ongoing process that will require regular upkeep to remain pristine and decluttered.

There are certainly parallels to be drawn between building a Zen garden and ensuring a smooth migration: taking stock of the current landscape; identifying which apps are still useful and which need a good pruning; and performing a pre-migration data cleanup to ensure you’re not carrying any excess baggage with you. All of this leaves your new Confluence/Jira instance decluttered and ready-to-go, and regular maintenance will ensure it stays that way.

Some personal takeaways:

• It’s better to plan where any small potted plants will go, before actually planting them.
• Fargesia is very heavy.
• Lastly: It’s rather cold in Germany – perhaps it’s better to build a Zen garden in summer!

Looking ahead to the future

Four years ago, Atlassian announced the discontinuation of Server products. For companies big and small, we know people have done amazing things with Server-based tools, and Atlassian’s products have laid the foundation for much of the SaaS products we use today.

Atlassian’s pledges for Server, i.e. a secure solution to document and share knowledge, boost productivity, and perform at scale, still persist today for Atlassian Cloud and Data Center. These pledges are also very much at the heart of draw.io: we offer live, real-time collaboration on diagrams (in Cloud) to help teams work together effectively. Our enterprise-grade security and privacy standards mean your diagrams are always secure – we don’t see or track your use of draw.io.

As we say farewell to Server, we look forward to seeing how lives will be improved with the new era of Cloud and Data Center.

If you are migrating from Server and wish to find out more about your options, please see our related blogpost: What does the future of draw.io look like after Server EOL?

Grow with draw.io

Want to dive deeper into the world of draw.io? Access our linktr.ee page to follow us on social media and learn how others use draw.io, as well as pick up some helpful tips and tricks.

Out with the old, in with the new

With Server EOL around the corner, if you’re planning on migrating to Cloud or Data Center, now is the perfect time to pause and take stock of your current Atlassian setup. Is it set up the way that you want, and is it still meeting your team’s needs?

In this blogpost, we’ll be looking at the question of whether or not to migrate in the first place, followed by an overview of each stage of the migration process, to guide you on how to be fully prepared before taking the leap.

Whether you are making the big move from Server to Cloud/Data Center, or switching to draw.io from another diagramming app, remember: we’re here to help. If you need support or have questions about the migration process – before you begin, when you’re in the thick of it, or post-migration – just get in touch.

The big question

The big question to address when planning to migrate is: is it worth changing a system that is already up and running?

Sometimes the answer is clear e.g. if you’re using Confluence Server, you’ll need to migrate pretty quickly before EOL on February 15th 2024. But sometimes it’s less clear-cut, for example considering moving from one diagramming software tool to another.

Often, it feels easier to stick with what you know and avoid changing an established system. However, in the long term this can result in unnecessarily high costs. Even worse, it can result in productivity and efficiency costs too, preventing you and your teams from using alternative, better tools that serve your needs. Therefore, we would argue in many cases, it is worth changing the status quo, and evaluating your apps to ensure you’re getting the most out of them.

Your migration path might be simple or complex, but the key to a successful migration is the same: it lies in careful planning and being informed.

Let’s look at how to plan out a successful migration and the steps involved:

1. Compare

What are you migrating from, and what are you moving to? At this stage, you’ll want to weigh up the pros and cons involved in moving. For instance:

• Moving from on-premise to Cloud:
  • Advantage(s): you will benefit from all the latest updates and new feature releases in real time.
  • Disadvantage(s): as your data will move from behind the firewall to the Cloud, you may lose some control over how your data is hosted. Fortunately in the case of draw.io, your will data remains secure – all your primary data is stored in the Confluence/Jira instance of your chosen region.

For more information, see Introducing Data Governance in our Standard draw.io plan for Confluence Cloud.

• Moving from Gliffy to draw.io:
  • Advantage(s): update shape links when migrating from one Confluence deployment to another, create diagrams with AI, and more!
  • Disadvantage(s): none*

*In all seriousness, you can view a full Gliffy Comparison breakdown here.

2. Plan

The next stage is to map out your migration plan, and have this visible somewhere centrally for stakeholders, e.g. as a Jira roadmap.

You’ll want to determine:

• What steps are required to complete the process effectively?
• Who will be responsible for which phases, and how you will communicate with each other during the process?
• What are your estimated timeframes for each stage? This should be relatively flexible, allowing extra time for if any part of the process ends up taking longer than estimated.

You’ll also want to find out what support is available for your migration:

• Atlassian has the Atlassian Migration Program (AMP) which provides step-by-step guides, free migration tools, a dedicated migration support team, and a free Cloud migration trial for the length of your remaining server maintenance up to 12 months.
• draw.io offers migration support, along with clear documentation and guidance, depending on whether you’re migrating between deployments, or from a competitor to draw.io. For more information, see our Whitepaper, The Great Migration.

Atlassian also provides some handy checklists with everything you need to know before migrating. This includes recommendations like which Assistant version is best to use when upgrading, ensuring that your number of Confluence/Jira users doesn’t exceed your limit (if you do want to increase this number, you need to do this before migrating), and making sure the people responsible for migration have the right access permissions in your instance. You can view the checklists here:

1. Confluence pre-migration checklist
2. Jira Cloud Migration Assistant pre-migration checklist

3. Prepare and test

It’s a good idea at this stage to set up a sandbox environment to test how things will function post-migration. To this end, Atlassian offers a free Cloud migration trial, allowing you to explore the latest cloud-only features in a testing environment.

Once you’ve ensured the people, data, and instances are all ready to migrate, your data is backed up where possible, and any issues during testing have been fixed, it’s onto the migration phase.

4. Migrate

If you’ve completed the previous steps thoroughly and there are no blockers, then, there’s nothing stopping you – it’s time to migrate!

5. Monitor

After the migration process, it’s time to check that everything is working as expected. With draw.io, you shouldn’t have any issues… if you followed our guidance in Step 3… you did follow our guidance in Step 3 – didn’t you?

Issues unfortunately can and do crop up, sometimes straight after migrating, or over time. Monitoring systems post-migration, and letting other colleagues and teams know where to go to get support if they spot anything amiss, will help nip any problems in the bud.

A final key point is to keep good documentation throughout the migration process in order to develop any key learnings. For example, what went well during the migration, and what could be improved next time? Did any stages take more or less time than was allocated, and if so, why?

Onto the next stage

Once you have decided to take the plunge and migrate: to Data Center/Cloud, or from another diagramming app to draw.io, it’s time to get cracking!

If at any stage you get stuck or have questions about migrating draw.io, contact us at any time.

Here’s to a happy migration!

Want to dive deeper into the world of draw.io? Access our linktr.ee page to follow us on social media and learn how others use draw.io, as well as pick up some helpful tips and tricks.

The end of an era

In 2020, Atlassian made the announcement that support for Server will end on February 15th 2024. We’ll take a look at what this means for you if you are still using Server, provide detailed information on draw.io for Cloud and Data Center to help you decide which is best for you going forward, and links to further resources and support.

Life after Server

We are part of the Atlassian Dual Licensing program. This program has been extended to also include Server, provided that users purchase a subscription before February 15, 2024. This program entitles users to receive ongoing Server support until February 15 2025, provided that they purchase a draw.io for Confluence Cloud subscription. More details can be found here.

Please note: we are going to provide draw.io support for all Confluence Server versions 8.5 and above only.

So we recommend that you update to Confluence Server 8.5 and above and the corresponding draw.io version, which is 12.2.1.

draw.io is here to help on your migration journey

Migration can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. We have kept the migration process, outlined below, as simple and streamlined as possible, and we are committed to helping you have a successful migration to Cloud or Data Center at every step of the way. If you do run into any problems during the process, just get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.

Migrating from Data Center/Server to Cloud

When migrating from Confluence on-premise, you can use our updated macro within our migration path to ensure your diagrams are embedded and linked properly.

Detailed information on how to do this can be found here, Migrating with draw.io from Confluence Data Center/Server 8.0 to Confluence Cloud

Migrating from one Confluence instance to another

All draw.io attachments and macros are migrated as part of the standard Confluence migration process. During the migration no data is transferred, and none of your data is stored outside of Confluence during the process.

The main step you’ll need to be aware of is that once migrated, the Confluence pageIDs will change. To ensure these IDs update appropriately, in the draw.io administration settings, you’ll simply need to:

1. Export the Page IDs from your source instance,
2. Import the Page IDs in your new target instance.

For more information, see, Migrate draw.io from one Confluence instance to another.

Migrating from Jira on-prem to Cloud

Normally, migrating between Jira instances is automatic and requires no additional steps, the only exception being migrating from Jira Server or Data Center to Jira Cloud.

Because draw.io diagrams exist as attachments in Jira issues, to migrate from on-premise Jira to Cloud, the diagrams must all be processed in the non-binary, single revision format.

To begin the migration (please note, this process is one-way and cannot be reverted):

1. Head to the draw.io Configuration settings in the administration Manage apps page,
2. Select the “Server to Cloud migration” tab,
3. Click Migrate.

For more information, see Migrate draw.io from Jira Server or DC to Jira Cloud.

If you haven’t already migrated, some helpful things to know:

Try Cloud for free

Atlassian’s transition to being a cloud-first platform means they are investing heavily into R&D for its cloud products.

To help you decide, they offer a free Cloud migration trial, where you can explore the latest cloud-only features in a sandbox environment. Within this test environment, you can of course start a free 30-day trial of draw.io for Cloud.

Here is how Atlassian is supporting users in their migration:

“To facilitate a smooth transition, we will offer three years of support and maintenance for server products and provide loyalty discounts for eligible customers to upgrade to our cloud or Data Center products at a lower price. For those ready to explore cloud, we’ve built the Atlassian Migration Program (AMP) which provides you with step-by-step guides, free migration tools, a dedicated migration support team, and a free cloud migration trial for the length of your remaining server maintenance up to 12 months.”

Cloud or Data Center?

Whether you choose to move to Cloud or Data Center, in terms of draw.io usability there are very few differences between the two: the diagram editor is essentially the same. In either version you will benefit from features like embedding diagrams in multiple pages, using the Confluence search bar to locate your diagrams, and straightfoward mass migration of Gliffy diagrams to draw.io*.

*If you’re thinking of migrating and are currently using Gliffy on Confluence Server, we suggest you first migrate to draw.io while you are still on Confluence Server (you can run the migration in trial mode, so you don’t even have to pay more). Then the move to Cloud is a breeze. For more information, see draw.io vs. Gliffy: starting a new business, all you need to know.

Our commitment to security

In Cloud or Data Center, your security is our utmost priority. Your draw.io data stays entirely in your browser; it is stored securely and exclusively in your Confluence or Jira instance, and only in Atlassian products and services.

Below is a breakdown of the key differences between using draw.io for Cloud or Data Center:

For Cloud

Cloud is the easiest way to ensure you’re always using the latest version of draw.io, and are up-to-date with the latest features and security fixes.

• Operate seamlessly: with Cloud, you avoid downtime maintenance. Atlassian takes care of security, compliance and governance, saving you time and allowing you and your teams to focus on what’s important.
• Lockdown data: you are in control. If you want to prevent all data traffic apart from that between your browser and your Atlassian instance server, you can use the lockdown function in the draw.io configuration to do so.
• Real-time updates: draw.io updates and new feature releases happen automatically in real time, meaning you are always using the most up-to-date and secure version by default.
• Collaborative editing: work with your teams synchronously, with any changes made by multiple teammates saved automatically.
• Smart Templates: use AI to automatically generate templates based on the criteria you define.

For Data Center

If you opt for Data Center, like with Server you operate in a self-managed environment. This gives full control over everything like security controls, update releases, and infrastructure choices, as this is all done behind your firewall.

With Cloud, Atlassian hosts your Cloud products for you and updates are automatic. However with Data Center, you are responsible for any maintenance and version upgrades. Either has its advantages, depending on how you wish to manage your instance.

For a full comparison, see the blogpost Differences between draw.io for Confluence Cloud and Data Center/Server.

Further resources

To find out more, check out the following articles:

draw.io:

• Differences between draw.io for Confluence Cloud and Data Center/Server
• Migration from Confluence Server – all your draw.io related options

Atlassian:

• Atlassian server is going away – now what?
• Why migrate to Atlassian Cloud?

If you need support or more information on your options, please feel free to reach out to us, and we’ll get back to you asap.

Want to dive deeper into the world of draw.io? Access our linktr.ee page to follow us on social media and learn how others use draw.io, as well as pick up some helpful tips and tricks.

UML deployment diagrams show the architecture of a particular system. They serve to highlight the relationships between the system’s software and hardware components.

You can build UML deployment diagrams quickly and easily in draw.io. We’ll take a look at how below:

Why build your deployment diagrams in draw.io?

draw.io is made for technical diagramming and has everything you need to get started, including:

• A collection of custom shapes: which you’ll find in our UML 2.5 and UML Shape Libraries.
• Version control: see when changes were made to your diagram which you can choose either to keep, or revert the diagram to a previous saved version.
• Shareability and restricted access: only share the diagram with those who need access.
• Export your diagram to different file types e.g. PDF for offline use.

How to build deployment diagrams in draw.io

To get started: in a new Confluence page, start typing “/draw” and select draw.io Diagram.

The shapes you’ll need

Head to +More Shapes in the left side menu, then under the Software category, select UML 2.5 and UML, and click Apply.

Depending on the style of diagram you wish to use, the following shapes will be useful. Simply use the search bar to locate them:

• “Deployment”: there are two deployment shapes. The first shape is particularly useful for building your diagram.

• Cube: this is a handy shape if you want your shapes to “stand out” with a shaded effect.
  • To customize the cube shape:
    • Click on the cube, go to the Arrange tab in the right side menu and click Flip > Horizontal
    • With the shape still selected, use the orange diamond at the top-right edge of the cube shape to adjust the cube’s dimensions.

The deployment and pre-formatted cube shapes

Tip: if you are using the same group of shapes repeatedly, save them to your Scratchpad by clicking and dragging your mouse over the group of shapes to highlight them, then drag the group across onto the Scratchpad.

Add individual or groups of shapes to your Scratchpad

Different connector types

Use different connector types to highlight different relationships between your shapes:

Sharing your diagram

Use Confluence to share and collaborate on your diagram with colleagues. You can easily restrict access in Confluence, depending on who needs to be able to view or edit the diagram.

Adjust permissions in Confluence to control who has access to the embedded deployment diagram

Making changes

If you or someone you have shared the diagram with have made changes, you can view these by heading to File > Revision History in the top menu. Choose to keep the current version, or revert to a previous one.

Once you have built your diagram…

You can export it to a number of formats, including .PNG, .SVG and .PDF.

A deployment diagram built in draw.io. Example taken from Wikipedia: File: Deployment_Diagram.PNG. Copied under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.

“Deploy” your next UML diagram

With a range of shapes and features at your disposal, building deployment diagrams in draw.io is a breeze.

To find out more about building other types of UML diagrams, see our blogpost UML diagrams – which diagram to use and why.

Want to dive deeper into the world of draw.io? Access our linktr.ee page to follow us on social media and learn how others use draw.io, as well as pick up some helpful tips and tricks.