OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Pyramid Diagram Maker
Maslow's Hierarchy and Other Pyramid Charts From One Level Per Line
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How the Pyramid Diagram Maker works
This pyramid diagram maker draws layered hierarchies from a short list. Type one level per line, top level first, and add a note after a colon if you want a description beside it. The page draws each level as a coloured band of the triangle, writes the notes alongside and downloads the result as SVG or PNG. Switch to Inverted for a funnel-shaped stack. Nothing is uploaded.
Pyramid diagram maker: show what rests on what
A pyramid diagram stacks levels so the wide base supports a narrow top. It says two things at once: the levels have an order, and the lower ones are larger, more common or more fundamental. That makes it a natural fit for needs, skills, priorities, food groups, testing strategies and any model where the top only works once the base is in place.
Writing the levels
- Write one level per line, starting with the top of the pyramid.
- Add a description after a colon: "Safety: Security, health, a stable income". Notes are drawn beside the pyramid on wide screens and kept in each level's tooltip on narrow ones.
- Lines starting with "#" are comments.
Two to eight levels work best. Each band is the same height; only the width changes.
Common pyramid models
- Maslow's hierarchy of needs, from Abraham Maslow's 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation", used in the sample. Maslow did not draw it as a pyramid himself; the shape was added later by others teaching the theory.
- The test pyramid in software: many fast unit tests at the base, fewer integration tests, and a small number of end-to-end tests at the top.
- The DIKW pyramid: data, information, knowledge and wisdom.
- The inverted pyramid in journalism: the most important facts first, background last. Choose Inverted for this one.
Pyramid or funnel?
Use a pyramid when the levels are categories with a fixed order and no numbers attached. When each stage has a measured value, such as visitors, sign-ups and purchases, a funnel chart sizes the bars by the data. For a reporting structure use the org chart maker, and for ideas linked in many directions use the concept map maker.
FAQ
Can I make the levels different heights?
No. Every level has the same height so the pyramid reads as an even stack and the labels have the same room. If the size of each level matters, a funnel or bar chart represents the numbers more honestly.
Why are the notes not shown on my phone?
On narrow screens there is no room beside the pyramid, so notes are left out of the drawing and kept in each level's tooltip. Widen the window or download from a desktop to include them in the image.
What does the Inverted shape do?
It flips the pyramid so the first level is the widest and the last is a point at the bottom. This suits the inverted pyramid of news writing and any model that narrows from broad to specific.
How many levels can a pyramid have?
There is no fixed limit, but beyond about eight levels the top bands become too narrow for their names and the diagram is harder to read. Group related levels together if the list gets long.
See also: all Diagram Makers tools, Images, Audio, Video & Screen, PDF, SVG, Simulations & Screensavers, Generative Art, Chart Makers, 3D Model Viewers, Drawing Pads, Mockups & 3D Making, 3D Science, Tracker Music.
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Paste stage and count rows; download a funnel chart as SVG or PNG.
Org Chart Maker
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Concept Map Maker
Type concept -> link -> concept lines to draw a concept map.
SVG To PNG
Rasterise an SVG to a PNG at any width.