Tools
Napkin.ai 🔎💡
Type: AI-powered diagramming and visualization tool
Website: https://www.napkin.ai
What it does:
Napkin.ai converts text prompts into clean, customizable visuals such as flowcharts, concept maps, timelines, and comparison diagrams. Users paste in text (e.g., a process, list, or idea), and the tool automatically suggests diagram formats that can then be edited, rearranged, and exported.
Why it might be useful for faculty:
- Clarify complex concepts: Quickly create diagrams to help students grasp processes, comparisons, or relationships.
- Save preparation time: Generate draft visuals in minutes instead of building from scratch.
- Flexible formats: Export diagrams as PNG, PDF, SVG, or PPT for use in slides, handouts, or OER.
- Open use: Napkin.ai states that its generated visuals are not subject to copyright, making them suitable for inclusion in open educational resources (with a disclosure that they are AI-generated).
Considerations:
- Requires internet access; free tier may have limitations.
- AI-generated diagrams often need review and editing to ensure accuracy.
- Napkin’s Acceptable Use Policy requires that users disclose when content is AI-generated (e.g., adding a caption: “Visual created with Napkin.ai”).
Example use cases:
- Visualizing a research workflow for a methods course.
- Creating a comparison chart of theoretical models for lecture slides.
- Designing a decision tree to guide students in selecting the right research database.
