How to Design a Network Diagram Your Customers Understand

1. Clearly label your diagram

One way to help your customers understand your diagram is by clearly labelling everything. From the devices within the diagram to the connections between devices. This will not only help them understand exactly what is going into the proposed network but also help mitigate issues and confusion down the road.

2. Rely on spacing and layout

When building your diagram be sure to layout your information in a clean and understandable fashion. Use grids, equal spacing and straight lines to achieve a clear, professional diagram. This will allows customers to easily absorb the information within the diagram.

3. Display the different sites

If the network your designing has different sites you want to clearly show the different sites within the network. This could be anything from labelling the different sites Warehouse and Production Plant to City A and City B, depending on the project at hand. This will allow your customers to understand exactly how many sites are being proposed and what they are.

4. Communicate using visuals

It is much easier for people to understand images versus a wall of text. To help you customers easily understand your network design start utilizing visual aids, such as icons and images. These icons and images can be used to represent the devices, building layout and more, giving your customer a visual understanding of the proposed network and its functionalities.

5. Ditch the technical talk

When communicating with your colleagues technical vocabulary is necessary, however when speaking with your customer remember to use an everyday conversational vocabulary. This will help to remove as many tech barriers as possible and will help customers understand the entirety of your network. 

To ensure your customers understand your network diagram you need to use labels throughout the diagram, create a clean layout, identify sites, utilize visuals and communicate in an everyday conversational vocabulary. Ensuring all parties are on the same page will help you and your team save time, money and headaches throughout the project.