Mermaid diagrams

Create, validate, and export Mermaid diagrams for B2B SaaS workflows, architectures, and process visualizations.

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Triggers

Invoke when user says:

• "Create a diagram for [process]"
• "Flowchart for [workflow]"
• "Mermaid diagram of [system]"
• "Architecture map for [product]"
• "Process map for [workflow]"
• "Visualize [process/system]"
• "Export diagram to Figma"

Do NOT invoke when:

• User wants a text-only process description (just write it)
• User wants a Google Slides presentation (use create-gdrive)
• User wants an infographic (use linkedin-infographics)

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Supported diagram types

Type	Mermaid syntax	Best for
Flowchart	graph TD / graph LR	Processes, decision trees, user flows
Sequence	sequenceDiagram	API flows, user interactions, handoffs
Class	classDiagram	Data models, system architecture
State	stateDiagram-v2	Status workflows, lifecycle stages
Gantt	gantt	Timelines, project plans, launch schedules
Mindmap	mindmap	Brainstorming, topic clustering
Quadrant	quadrantChart	Positioning maps, priority matrices

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Process

Step 1: Identify diagram type

Match the user's need to the best Mermaid type:

• "How does X flow?" → Flowchart
• "What happens between A and B?" → Sequence diagram
• "What are the states of X?" → State diagram
• "Show the timeline for X" → Gantt chart
• "Map out the concepts" → Mindmap
• "Plot X vs Y" → Quadrant chart

Step 2: Draft the diagram

Write valid Mermaid syntax. Follow these rules:

• Use descriptive node IDs (not single letters)
• Keep labels concise (under 40 characters)
• Use subgraphs to group related nodes
• Apply consistent direction (TD for vertical, LR for horizontal)
• Use appropriate link styles (solid for primary flow, dotted for optional)

Step 3: Validate

Before delivery:

• Syntax renders without errors
• All nodes are connected (no orphans)
• Labels are readable at normal zoom
• Direction is logical (top-to-bottom or left-to-right)
• Subgraphs are labeled

Step 4: Export (if requested)

See export workflow section below.

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Syntax templates

Flowchart (process)

graph TD
    start[Start] --> step1[Step 1: Description]
    step1 --> decision{Decision?}
    decision -->|Yes| path_a[Path A]
    decision -->|No| path_b[Path B]
    path_a --> result[Result]
    path_b --> result

    subgraph Phase 1
        step1
        decision
    end

Sequence diagram (interactions)

sequenceDiagram
    participant User
    participant App
    participant API
    participant DB

    User->>App: Action
    App->>API: Request
    API->>DB: Query
    DB-->>API: Response
    API-->>App: Data
    App-->>User: Display

State diagram (lifecycle)

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Draft
    Draft --> Review: Submit
    Review --> Approved: Approve
    Review --> Draft: Request changes
    Approved --> Published: Publish
    Published --> [*]

Gantt chart (timeline)

gantt
    title Project Timeline
    dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD
    section Phase 1
        Research:a1, 2026-02-13, 7d
        Analysis:a2, after a1, 5d
    section Phase 2
        Design:b1, after a2, 10d
        Build:b2, after b1, 14d

Quadrant chart (positioning)

quadrantChart
    title Positioning Map
    x-axis Low Effort --> High Effort
    y-axis Low Impact --> High Impact
    quadrant-1 Do First
    quadrant-2 Schedule
    quadrant-3 Delegate
    quadrant-4 Eliminate
    Item A: [0.8, 0.9]
    Item B: [0.3, 0.7]
    Item C: [0.6, 0.2]

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Export workflow

Option 1: SVG/PNG for Figma

1. Render the Mermaid diagram using the Mermaid CLI or an online renderer
2. Export as SVG (preferred for scalability) or PNG (for fixed-size use)
3. Import into Figma:
   • SVG: File > Place Image, or paste directly
   • PNG: File > Place Image
4. In Figma: ungroup the SVG to edit individual elements, apply brand colors

Mermaid CLI command (if available):

npx @mermaid-js/mermaid-cli mmdc -i diagram.mmd -o diagram.svg -t dark

Online renderers:

• mermaid.live (official editor)
• Copy Mermaid code block → paste into any Mermaid renderer

Option 2: Embed in Google Slides

1. Render diagram to SVG/PNG
2. Use create-gdrive skill to create a presentation
3. Insert the rendered image into the slide
4. Or: paste the Mermaid code block into a Google Doc for technical documentation

Option 3: Inline in markdown

For markdown-native destinations (GitHub, Notion, CLAUDE.md):

• Wrap in triple backticks with mermaid language tag
• Most modern markdown renderers support Mermaid natively

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Style guidelines

Colors (when using theme or classDef)

Apply client brand colors when available. Default to:

• Primary nodes: fill:#1a1a2e,color:#fff
• Secondary nodes: fill:#16213e,color:#fff
• Decision nodes: fill:#0f3460,color:#fff
• Highlight nodes: fill:#e94560,color:#fff

Typography

• Keep node labels under 40 characters
• Use sentence case
• Avoid abbreviations unless universally understood

Layout

• Vertical (TD) for sequential processes
• Horizontal (LR) for parallel or branching workflows
• Use subgraphs to reduce visual clutter
• Maximum 15-20 nodes per diagram (split larger ones)

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Integration with other skills

Skill	How Mermaid helps
workflow-design	Visualize multi-step prompt chains
create-gdrive	Embed diagrams in Google Slides/Docs
skill-catalog	Dependency charts between skills
icp-behavioural	Buyer journey flowcharts
product-launch	Launch timeline Gantt charts
content-strategy	Content pipeline diagrams

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