Org chart structure: definition and example
An org chart structure is a layout in which the central topic sits at the top and each level of branches runs below it in rows, like a reporting chart.
What it means
The term comes from the chart of who reports to whom. As a map layout, it works for any hierarchy, not only people: a site map, a product breakdown, a taxonomy.
When to use one
Use it when the levels matter more than the order, and each topic has few words. Wide levels can run off the page, so keep the text short.
How it differs from nearby terms
A logic chart runs sideways. A tree chart hangs branches from a vertical line, usually as an indented list. An org chart places each level in a row, so topics on a level line up.
In MindmapPal
The MindmapPal app for iPhone and iPad has the org chart as one of its structures, in a down and an up version. The web editor on this site does not switch structures.
Example
A company map has the CEO as the central topic, three directors on the next row, and each director's team on the row below, drawn as boxes joined by lines.
Related terms
- Tree chart: A tree chart is a diagram of a hierarchy in which one root splits into branches, which split again, drawn in a vertical or horizontal layout.
- Logic chart: A logic chart is a mind map structure in which the central topic sits at one side and every branch extends in a single direction, so the map reads from left to right or right to left.
- Main branch: A main branch is a topic attached directly to the central topic of a mind map, and it heads one major part of the subject with its own subtopics below it.
- Mind map: A mind map is a diagram that puts one idea in the centre and arranges related ideas around it as branches, with the details of each branch nested under it.