Simple Diagrams: Draw a Blackboard-and-Chalk Diagram

Simple Diagrams is proof that we’ve come a full-circle in technical illustration.

We started fifty years ago with nothing more than a blackboard and a fistful of chalk. If we had any colored chalks we considered ourselves lucky. That was my elementary school experience.

Then we went through the Photoshop + Illustrator revolution in the ’90s.

Fast forward: we’re now bored even with that! So, back to the blackboard again. The old is new.

Here we have SimpleDiagrams, a downloadable application that “draws” stick figures and similar simple shapes with the unmistakable visual style of chalk-on-blackboard graphics.

Everything is drag-and-drop. So don’t worry about really drawing anything here.

I downloaded the free version for a test drive.

This is the welcome screen:

draw simple diagrams

Click Free 7-Day Trial and then New Diagram, and this is the EDITING SCREEN you get:

SimpleDiagrams2

Everything is intuitive drag-and-drop and resize and recolor magic. Very straightforward.
Here is the “masterpiece” I created with Simple Diagrams within 30 seconds:

SimpleDiagrams3

Everything worked as advertised EXCEPT the text tool. I somehow could not type in anything. Is it because  I was using the free version? No idea.

Another thing you can’t do with the free version is saving. You can’t save what you’ve created. For that you need to pay $49 and buy the real thing.

So, it’s up to you. Should you buy Simple Diagrams, or take the pen and draw anything you want on plain paper and then scan the whole thing. Same difference. And perhaps not. You be the judge.

But overall Simple Diagrams is a drawing editor that delivers the promise. It’s cute and smart. No negatives, except the $25 price tag. Recommended.

1 Comment

  1. Daniel McQuillen on March 3, 2011 at 3:25 pm

    Hi Ugur,
    Thanks for the write-up! I hope you and your readers find good use for the software.
    Just so your readers know: you select a text area once to highlight it and move it, and the double-click it when it’s selected to edit it. I’m actually going to change this in an upcoming release so it’s a bit easier.
    I’m always looking for feedback so please feel free to suggest ideas for new features.
    – Daniel