Easier Org Chart Diagram with Claude

Andrew Walker
March 18, 2025

Claude supports both SVG and Mermaid formats for diagrams, but SVG worked best.
There were quirks, like incorrect colours and misassigned managers, that needed troubleshooting.
Despite the hiccups, it was far quicker than creating an org chart by hand.

Following on from my AI: Org Chart Structure From HR Dump, Thanks to Shane Mercer of ThunderLabs (working with The Smith Family; details shared with permission) for alerting me to Claude's handy built-in diagramming tools, which significantly shortened my workflow.

Claude supports both SVG, a lower-level format, and the Mermaid format I previously used across multiple tools. After some experimentation, I chose SVG because Claude seemed to manage SVG better than Mermaid.

I provided Claude with a CSV file containing this information:

And here's my final version, after a few attempts:

Pretty cool!

I experimented quite a bit, and Claude initially made some recurring errors—such as giving me white text on a black background when I'd asked for the reverse, or incorrectly assigning people to managers. But I got there eventually, and it was still FAR quicker than doing the chart manually.

These tools are improving rapidly—I can't wait to see what's possible next year!

Andrew Walker
Consulting to for-purpose CEOs to deliver more impact with existing teams and systems - by freeing humans up from admin.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-walker-the-impatient-futurist/

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