Effortless Visualisation: AI-Powered Flowcharts and Mind Maps

Last week, these same instructions helped a client save 2-3 days of work.

I was working with a client who needed to visualise their processes, fast. Following the instructions I’ll share today, they turned a bunch of notes into a polished flowchart in minutes, saving them days of manual effort. Whether you’re a business analyst, a strategist, a leader, or just someone looking to organise and visualise your ideas, this approach can work for you.

The beauty of visuals is how they simplify complexity: they show connections, help decisions, and make ideas stick. But until now, they’ve been tedious to create. Thanks to AI, creating flowcharts, mind maps, and other diagrams is now as simple as typing a few prompts.

This week, I’ll show you how to:

• Turn AI chat sessions, documents, meeting transcripts, and ideas into visuals.
• Use tools like Lucidchart and ChatGPT or Claude to bring AI outputs to life.
• Save time while creating visuals that clarify and inspire action.
• Go further than flow charts, make an interactive webpage in minutes

Not sure where AI fits into your business or how to start? Book a free Intro to AI Discovery Session, a practical, no-pressure call where we’ll identify your business’s biggest AI opportunities and explore how a tailored workshop could deliver immediate results. Check out more details about our workshops here!

Why Visual Thinking Matters

Humans think visually. We can hold only so many ideas in our minds at once, and seeing processes or ideas mapped out makes connections clearer and easier to act on. That’s why customer journeys, workflows, and mind maps are so effective.

The problem? Making them takes time, something most of us don’t have. AI changes that, cutting the process from hours to seconds. Here’s how.

How to Turn Ideas into Visuals with AI: A Step-by-Step Guide

AI tools can generate ‘Mermaid’ compatible code to make it easy to transform your thoughts, documents, or meeting notes into clear, actionable visuals like flowcharts or mind maps. Whether you’re starting with a voice memo, a dense strategy document, or even a chat conversation, here’s how to get it done in minutes. (Don't worry, this is still for non technical people!)

What is Mermaid?

Mermaid is a way to represent flowcharts and other diagrams using simple text-based code. This code can be pasted into tools like Lucidchart (with a subscription) or free tools like Mermaid.Live to instantly generate visuals. Think of it as a bridge between ideas and polished diagrams, Mermaid lets certain tools translate text into a visual format.

For example, you might prompt an AI tool to create a Mermaid diagram, paste the result into Mermaid.Live, and generate a professional-looking flowchart in seconds.

Key Points:

• Free and Accessible: Use tools like Mermaid.Live without needing software subscriptions.
• Flexible: You can copy and edit the text code to make quick updates.
• Supported Tools: Claude can display Mermaid diagrams directly, as well as code you can move to other tools, while ChatGPT just provides the code you can paste into a visualisation tool.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using AI Tools to General Visualisations

Step 1: Gather Your Source

Start with any input:

• Voice Notes: Record brainstorming ideas and transcribe them with tools like Fireflies.ai or IOS Voice Memos.
• Documents: Use reports, plans, SOPs, or notes.
• Chats: Use brainstorming conversations from ChatGPT or Claude.
• Meeting Transcripts: Capture discussions and decisions from tools like Fireflies or Teams transcripts

Step 2: Ask AI to Create a Mermaid Diagram

Use the right prompt to get structured Mermaid-compatible output:

Flowchart Prompt:

• “Turn this process into a flowchart using Mermaid code.”

Mind Map Prompt:

• “Carefully analyse this meeting transcript, organise the ideas discussed into a hierarchical mind map using Mermaid code.”

Step 3: Example Output

Here’s what AI might produce based on your prompt:

Prompt:

• “Create a horizontal Mermaid flowchart for a customer journey with the following steps: Lead Generation, Consultation, Proposal, Implementation, Follow-Up.”

AI Output: (I did this with Claude, it likes to add colours right away)

flowchart LR
    LG[Lead Generation] --> C[Consultation]
    C --> P[Proposal]
    P --> I[Implementation]
    I --> F[Follow-Up]

    style LG fill:#e1f5fe,stroke:#01579b
    style C fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#1b5e20
    style P fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#e65100
    style I fill:#f3e5f5,stroke:#4a148c
    style F fill:#ffebee,stroke:#b71c1c
        

Step 4: Paste and Visualise

Once you have your Mermaid code, choose a tool to visualise it:

• Free Option: Paste the code into Mermaid.Live to instantly generate a diagram.

• Professional Option: Use a tool like Lucidchart (if you have a subscription) to import Mermaid code directly.

Step 5: Refine and Iterate

Make your diagrams more useful with follow-up prompts:

• “Add decision points to this flowchart where customers can opt out.”
• “Include common pain points at each stage.”
• “Reorganise this flowchart to group steps by phase (e.g., Pre-Sale, Implementation, Follow-Up).”

• “Make it more colourful and modern” alternatively “Make it prettier”
• “Make it vertical rather than horizontal”

You can copy the refined code back into your chosen tool for an updated visual.

When to Use Mermaid

Mermaid is perfect for:

• Creating quick visuals without needing design skills.
• Sharing editable, text-based diagrams with collaborators.
• Generating professional flowcharts, mind maps, or workflows for free.

Example Workflow: My Customer Journey

Here’s how I mapped my customer journey using Mermaid:

1. Source: A voice memo captured while driving, transcribed with Fireflies.ai, uploaded to Claude.ai for some further brainstorming.
2. AI Organisation: Prompted Claude to create a flowchart in Mermaid syntax.
3. Refinement: Asked for more colours and a more modern design
4. Visualisation: Pasted the final Mermaid code into Lucid Chart for a polished diagram.
5. Going More Complex: I asked Claude to create a beautifully designed front-end, (check it out and let me know what you think!) based on the diagram. It took some tweaking to fix bugs and get it correct, but total time was about 30 minutes and you can view it live and interact with it. (This was using the Claude Artifacts feature which allows you to publish what you've built, a pretty incredible capability)

Bonus: For Presentation-Ready Visuals, Try Napkin.ai

If you need polished visuals that look amazing on PowerPoint slides, Napkin.ai is a fantastic tool. It takes your ideas and automatically turns them into visually engaging diagrams, perfect for presentations or client meetings.

How-to:

1. Input your process, workflow, or brainstorming ideas into a 'new napkin' on Napkin.ai.
2. Select the text you want to use for the flow, and click the lightning bolt.
3. Choose the visual style.
4. Adjust the style, colours, or layouts to match your brand or presentation needs.

Why It’s Useful:

• Create standout visuals without design expertise.
• Outputs are optimised for slides, with clean, modern aesthetics, transparent backgrounds
• Save hours on manual formatting and styling.

Example: A customer acquisition funnel transformed into a high-impact visual.

This Week’s Prompt?

Give it a go! Use any process, idea, conversation or workflow and prompt AI to create a Mermaid-compatible diagram. Paste the code into a tool like Mermaid.Live or Lucidchart to see your ideas come to life, fast, flexible, and professional.

This Week’s AI News

1. Microsoft’s AI Takes a Leap Toward Limitless Memory

Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman announced in a recent interview with Times Techies that the company has developed prototypes with “near-infinite memory” capabilities. Suleyman described memory as the “critical piece” for AI evolution, allowing systems to maintain persistent memory across unlimited sessions.

Why it matters: Current AI models like ChatGPT have experimented with memory, but Suleyman candidly labelled these efforts as “hollow.” Microsoft’s approach could enable AIs to form lasting, evolving relationships with users, fundamentally changing how we interact with these systems. Persistent memory could transform AI from reactive chatbots into proactive companions, potentially redefining industries like customer support, education, and even personal productivity. Suleyman hinted that this breakthrough could be available by 2025.

2. Coca-Cola’s AI-Generated Christmas Ad Sparks Mixed Reviews

Coca-Cola partnered with Silverside AI to release a new version of its iconic “Holidays Are Coming” advertisement, generated entirely by AI. The reaction? Divided.

Why it matters: AI-generated video is still in its infancy, and while the ad might pass as “good enough” for many, the polish and emotional resonance of human creativity seem to be missing. This raises a broader question: Will AI content dilute creativity in the name of efficiency, or is it a tool that simply needs more refinement? For now, Coca-Cola’s effort reflects the growing presence of AI in creative industries, but its effectiveness with consumers remains uncertain.

3. Anthropic’s Leadership Talks AI Safety and AGI Predictions

In Lex Fridman’s latest 5-hour interview, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, researcher Amanda Askell, and co-founder Chris Olah covered a wide range of topics, including AI safety, Claude’s design philosophy, and their predictions for AGI (artificial general intelligence).

Key takeaways:

• Amodei predicts AGI could arrive as soon as 2026-2027, bringing significant risks and opportunities.
• Askell provided fascinating insight into how Claude’s “personality” was crafted to ensure helpfulness while maintaining ethical guardrails.
• Olah took a deep dive into the technical challenges Anthropic faces as AI capabilities expand.

Why it matters: If Anthropic’s predictions hold true, we could be on the brink of AGI within a few years. The interview offers a rare glimpse into the minds behind one of the leading AI organisations, making it a must-watch for anyone curious about the future of AI. For non-technical viewers, the first 4 hours and 15 minutes provide plenty of insights without requiring a PhD in machine learning.

About Erictron AI: Your Partner for AI Success

At Erictron AI, we help businesses bridge the gap between AI’s potential and real-world results. Whether you’re exploring AI for the first time or scaling your capabilities, our tailored workshops are often the best starting point. They provide your team with a strong foundation of skills and knowledge, ensuring you’re equipped to make AI a powerful, practical tool in your organisation.

Why Erictron AI?

With a background in leading operations at startups and driving digital transformation in enterprise environments, we combine deep technical expertise with a clear understanding of commercial priorities. Our approach is outcome-oriented and focused on how AI—or the right technology, can help you achieve your specific business goals.

We don’t just train teams on AI; we deliver practical strategies and solutions to ensure AI fits seamlessly into your workflows, driving measurable results.

What We Offer

While workshops are often the ideal first step, we also provide a full range of AI services to support your organisation’s growth:

• Workshops: Build foundational knowledge, gain hands-on experience, and leave with actionable solutions tailored to your needs.
• Solution Development: From automating workflows to crafting bespoke AI models, we help implement solutions that deliver immediate impact.
• AI Strategy & Policy: Define a roadmap for integrating AI into your organisation, ensuring it aligns with your objectives and governance requirements.
• AI Procurement Support: Confidently evaluate and select the right AI tools to meet your business challenges.

Why Start with a Workshop?

Our workshops combine education, experimentation, and application, helping your team unlock AI’s value from day one. They’re designed to:

• Provide a strong foundation of practical skills and knowledge.
• Help your team discover where AI can deliver the most value.
• Equip you with solutions you can implement immediately.

Let’s Get Started

AI can transform how you work, but success starts with understanding how to use it effectively. Book a free Intro to AI Discovery session today—a hands-on, no-pressure call where we’ll identify opportunities for your business and explore how a workshop can set you up for success.

Book Your Call Now

Learn more about our workshops and tailored AI support at Erictron AI Workshops.