What is a timeline?
Timeline
What is a timeline?
A timeline is a graphical representation that allows you to see and understand time sequences between events .
The timelines are a visual tool to order and chronologically explain processes or events that have occurred over a period, for which they are very useful as a pedagogical resource.
In the organizational world, a timeline can help to see the evolution or involution of a process, department, product or of the company itself.
How to make a timeline
To make a timeline correctly it is essential to follow some steps:
- Select a topic.
- Select the period to be represented : the period to be studied can be a specific day, a year, a decade, a century, the important thing is that the start and end of the event to be analyzed clearly appear on the timeline.
- Choose the most relevant aspects or facts : the timeline is a resource for visualizing and synthesizing information. Therefore, it is most useful to choose only the information that is relevant to the topic.
- Use a measure of time : in a timeline the sections that divide each period must have the same measure. For example, if you are going to make a representation of the most important events of the year, the time line can be divided into months. If it is a historical period, it can be divided into decades or centuries.
- The information that gives context to the timeline should be short and specific : for example, year and title of the event.
- If the timeline is horizontal, milestones or events begin to plot from left to right . If it is a vertical line, from top to bottom.
Examples of timelines
While timelines should make a timeline visible and understandable, there are no rules about the creative use of elements. Lines, arrows, geometric shapes, icons, images, interactive resources, etc. can be used. The important thing is that they are relevant to the topic at hand and should not obscure the central idea that you want to convey.
- Update date: March 7, 2021.