From Code to Clarity: How Visualizing Logic Saved My Sanity

[#1]

Ever had one of those days where explaining programming logic feels like translating ancient hieroglyphs? Yeah, I’ve been there. That’s why I started using Confluence Whiteboard to break down complex code into something visual.

I’ve found that mapping out logic flows, loops, and conditions on a whiteboard helps me understand the problem better and makes it easier for non-developers on the team to follow along. It’s saved us hours of back-and-forth.

Here’s a fun fact: according to a McKinsey study, teams that use visual collaboration tools are 33% more likely to be high-performing. No surprise there! When everyone can see how the logic works, you catch issues early and collaborate more effectively.

Recently, I was working on a project where we kept hitting a bug, and the fix wasn’t obvious. A quick whiteboard session to visually trace the program’s flow made the issue clear—it turned a week-long headache into a 30-minute discussion.

Connecting it to Jira, so we can track changes and updates right from the visual. It’s not just about understanding the code—it’s about streamlining the whole process.

So here’s my takeaway: when your code gets complicated, don’t just dive deeper—step back, visualize it, and watch how clarity improves your team’s flow.

[Stephen_Lugton]

Thanks @Dr Valeri Colon _Connect Centric_ that makes a lot of sense and doing this will also be a good way of onboarding new team members

[Barbara Szczesniak]

I completely agree, @Dr Valeri Colon _Connect Centric_.

I approach this from my point of view as a technical writer. I make what I call a process flow diagram to ensure that I understand the process fully. I share this with the PM and Dev team to ensure my understanding is correct (and often so they can see all of my decision spots of situations they haven't considered). 

We also can use and update this same diagram when considering changes to the process.

Once the process is settled (for a release), I often use that diagram or an abridged version of it in my documentation to provide an overview of the process to users.

[Dr Valeri Colon _Connect Centric_]

@Stephen_Lugton great point. New team members to get up to speed on projects and who's who through visuals.

@Barbara Szczesniak shout out to all the technical writers out there! This is such a smart way to ensure alignment with the dev and PM teams —and it’s awesome that you’re helping others see those overlooked decision spots!