Organization Chart Design Insiration Needed

Jun 04, 2012

Hi everyone,

I'm working on ideas to revise some new employee orientation trainings. One of the standard topics for orientation is an introduction to the structure of the agency and an overview of the different divisions. Typically this is done using the "Organization Chart".

I'd like to flip the chart upside-down and make it into a tree. My concept is that I'd be welcoming the new emloyee to the agency's "family" tree. The base of the tree would be what is normally at the top of the organization chart, and then each branch would represent a division, with other branches in each divisional branch representing individual work units or functional area. In essence, the base of the tree supports all of the employees who are doing the work of the agency, rather than the traditional, authoritative, top-down structure of an organization chart.

Right now I'm searching istock and other online resources to try to find some visual inspiration for this concept. I will probably need to build this on my own using PowerPoint shapes, so I'm a little concerned it will end up looking like a not so good child's drawing.

Has anyone seen this sort of a concept in a presentation or online training? That the organization's structure flows upward instead of downward?  Love to hear your ideas!

  Melanie

9 Replies
Rebecca Fleisch Cordeiro

Hi Melanie,

Because you mentioned the Family Tree style, and you mentioned PowerPoint, I googled using those phrases and did find this link at about.com (I like their stuff). It's about making a family tree in PPT 2003, but I find directions in earlier programs are usually easily "upgraded." There's a link on this page to a more complex tree also.

http://presentationsoft.about.com/od/classrooms/ss/family_tree.htm

This site bubbled up and looks like it has good good overall tips

http://www.smartdraw.com/blog/archive/2011/09/22/three-tips-for-creating-better-org-charts.aspx

This office site has a number of org templates for different office programs, including PowerPoint. I see one here called My Family Tree. Scroll the navigation pane on the left to view them all.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT010144349.aspx?tl=2#pg:3|ai:TC010107970|

Natalia Mueller

Melanie,

I know this isn't the direction you were thinking but just to throw it out there, have you considered using an Engage interaction? You could take an image (photo or drawing) of a tree and make it a labeled graphic. Click each marker to see who holds that position. Hover to see their name/title and then click to see a photo/bio/whatever. That would give you more interaction for less development time.

Melanie Sobie

Wow! Thanks everyone for the excellent ideas and design tips!  I think I'll have to schedule some time on my calendar to investigate all these wonderful options.

My most recent design inspiration I found is a tree, based on an image of a hand, that is on the Khan Academy website.

 We have 4 main Divisions in our agency, and then the main headquarters office (Office of the Secretary), so I think I  might have found a good design. Can't wait to explore the information and links you've all provided - especially the animation!

Please Note: I would assume the Khan Acadamy logo is copyrighted, so please don't take this as an invitation to use their image.