When planning a new app service, the very first steps are usually defining requirements and drafting a functional specification to address them. Once these two steps are complete, the next big task is designing the user flow — and this is where the flowchart comes in.
💡 What Is a Flowchart?
A flowchart is a visual document that maps out the series of steps and decisions involved in using a service. Each step is represented using standardized diagram symbols, and the flow typically moves from left to right and top to bottom, connected by arrows.
By using diagrams, a flowchart helps simplify and clarify complex processes, making them easy to understand at a glance.
🔍 Why Do You Need a Flowchart?
There are three main reasons why flowcharts are essential in app service design:
1️⃣ Quickly Grasp the Overall Structure
A flowchart helps developers and team members quickly understand the full scope of a service or system, without wading through dense documentation.
2️⃣ Spot Problems or Gaps in the Process
By visualizing the entire process, you can identify potential bottlenecks, missing steps, or logical issues before they become actual problems during development.
3️⃣ Check UX from the User’s Perspective
For example, if completing a task requires eight separate steps, that may increase the risk of user drop-off. By reviewing the flowchart, you can identify opportunities to streamline or reduce steps to improve usability.
Standard Flowchart Symbols
While developers often use a wide range of symbols to create detailed flowcharts, in this post, we’ll focus on the core symbols commonly used in service design.
For a more comprehensive list of symbols and their meanings, check out:
👉https://www.smartdraw.com/flowchart/flowchart-symbols.htm
Flowchart Symbols
Let's go over each flowchart symbol individually.
www.smartdraw.com
How to Create a Flowchart
Drawing a flowchart isn’t just about arranging steps — you need to follow proper rules and symbol usage to ensure clarity and purpose.
- If your team has set internal diagram rules, follow them.
- If not, stick to standard industry rules.
- Always consider UX when mapping out the process. The ultimate goal is to improve user convenience and ensure that screens and actions appear in a logical and user-friendly order.
- Regularly share the first draft with your team to get feedback and refine the flow.
- Developers, in particular, focus on whether the service logic works rationally, so collaborative review is crucial.
📝 Basic Rules for Drawing a Flowchart
1.Use diagram elements according to their intended purpose.
2. Arrange flows from left to right and top to bottom; use arrows to indicate alternate paths.
3. For cancellation cases or exceptions, it’s best to position them downward for clarity.
Example: Sign-Up Flow
(Insert your visual here showing a basic user sign-up process flowchart.)
Draw.io (https://app.diagrams.net/)
💻 Best Free App to Create Flowcharts: Draw.io
One of the most popular and free tools for creating flowcharts is Draw.io (also known as diagrams.net), which can be integrated with Chrome.
Here’s how to get started:
1️⃣ In Chrome, click the new tab button → More Tools → Find More Apps.
2️⃣ Search for Draw.io and install it.
3️⃣ Use one of the built-in templates to start designing your flowchart.
While the example here focuses on a simple sign-up flow, remember that a full service flowchart should usually appear at the beginning of your project documentation so that everyone involved has a clear, shared understanding from the start.
2022.12.04 - [UIUX 디자인 (KO)] - UIUX : 앱 서비스 설계 - 플로우차트 작성법
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