Design Patterns for Software Diagramming

This post lists and explains the entities used when designing diagrams for different audiences and purposes, focusing on how audience, detail, visual elements, and relationship types shape diagram choices.

Modeling based on the Author's Perspective

Entity	Description
Needs	Primary goals or requirements the diagram must satisfy.
Level of Detail	Amount of information and granularity shown in the diagram.
Audience	Target viewers whose background and goals shape the diagram.
Technical Audience	Viewers with engineering or domain expertise requiring precision.
Business Audience	Viewers focused on outcomes, decisions, and high-level context.
Want	Desired outcome the diagram is intended to produce.
Agreement	Outcome where the diagram helps stakeholders reach consensus.
Decision	Outcome where the diagram supports choosing a course of action.
Technical Understanding	Depth of technical knowledge the diagram assumes or conveys.
Level of Abstraction	Degree to which details are generalized or simplified.
Diagram	The visual artifact that represents structure, behavior, or flow.
Class Diagram	Diagram type that models entities, attributes, and relationships.
Domain Story Diagram	Diagram type that captures domain events and interactions.
C4 Model	Diagram type that shows system context, containers, components, and code.
Color Palette	Chosen colors used to encode meaning and improve readability.
Notation	Set of symbols and conventions used to represent concepts visually.
Box	Rectangular element used to represent an entity, component, or concept.
Legend	Key that explains symbols, colors, and notation used in the diagram.
Line (Relationship)	Visual connector that indicates relationships between boxes or elements.
Hierarchical	Relationship type that shows parent/child or containment structure.
Sequential	Relationship type that shows ordered steps or flows over time.
Causal	Relationship type that indicates cause-and-effect links.
Proportional	Relationship type that conveys relative size, weight, or importance.
Spatial	Relationship type that represents physical or layout-based relationships.