Are you struggling with how to clearly identify and demonstrate the cause-and-effect relationships between plenty of information? Then Fishbone diagram is the exact tool designed for you to solve this problem.

As Microsoft Word is excellent for creating text-heavy documents and visualizing the data with various kinds of diagrams, follow this step-by-step guide to learn how to quickly create and insert a professional fishbone diagram in Microsoft Word. Apart from introducing how to create a fishbone diagram manually, I will also introduce magic AI tools-Picdoc and Lucidchart’s Microsoft add-in to help you facilitate the diagram creation.

What is Fishbone Diagram and its classification

Japanese quality management master Professor Ishikawa Kaoru proposed the fishbone diagram analysis method in the 1960s, also known as the cause-and-effect diagram or Ishikawa diagram. The method is named for its fishbone-like appearance and is widely used in quality management, problem analysis, and solution formulation. The fishbone diagram is a systematic problem analysis tool, often used in product design to show the possible factors that contribute to the overall effect. It is commonly used in product design, production quality management, or failure prevention to identify all potential factors of a problem.

If further categorized, the fishbone diagram can be divided into three types:

• Problem Organization Fishbone Diagram: The relationship between elements and characteristic values is structural rather than causal, mainly used for systematic presentation of various aspects of a problem.
• Cause Fishbone Diagram: The fish head is on the right side, with the characteristic value usually expressed as “why,” used to analyze the causes of a problem.
• Countermeasure Fishbone Diagram: The fish head is on the left side, with the characteristic value usually expressed as “how to improve,” used to develop strategies for solving problems.

The fishbone diagram not only helps in in-depth problem analysis but also promotes teamwork and brainstorming, allowing for the consideration of all possible causes. Through this visual approach, complex problems become clear and visible, enabling team members to reach better consensus.

Make a Fishbone Diagram in Word Using the Shape Library

Next, I will show you simple, step-by-step instructions for creating a fishbone diagram in MS Word.

Step 1: Open an MS Word document

Open a new or existing Word document where you can to add a fishbone diagram.

Navigate to the page where you want to create your fishbone diagram.

Step 2: Create a title

Click on the Insert tab in the top menu bar.

In the section Illustrations, click on the Shapes icon.

In the Basic Shapes section, click on the Text Box icon.

Once you click on the icon, and your cursor will change to a cross.

Place the cursor towards the top of the page and drag it to form a text box.

Change the text inside to a suitable title.

Now you’ve finished creating the title. Use handles at the edges to change the position and size of the box.

Step 3: Create a spine

Click on the Insert tab in the top menu bar.

In the section Illustrations, click on the Shapes icon.

In the section Block Arrows, click on the Right Arrow icon.

Once you click on the icon, and your cursor will change to a cross.

Drag your cursor to the right to form a long spine.

Step 4: Create the bones

Click on the Insert tab in the top menu bar.

In the section Illustrations, click on the Shapes icon.

In the section Block Arrows, click on the Down Arrow icon.

Place the cursor above the spine and drag it down to form a bone.

Use handles at the edges to change the shape’s angle, position, and size.

Click to select the bone shape.

Press CTRL+C on your keyboard to copy the shape.

Press CTRL+V on your keyboard to paste a copy of the shape.

Repeat these steps to paste as many bone shapes as you want.

Step 5: Create the cause text box

Click on the Insert tab in the top menu bar

In the section Illustrations, click on the Shapes icon.

In the Basic Shapes section, click on the Text Box icon.

Change the text inside to a suitable cause.

Press CTRL+C and CTRL+V to add more causes.

Step 6: Create the effect text box

Click on the Insert tab in the top menu bar.

In the section Illustrations, click on the Shapes icon.

In the Basic Shapes section, click on the Text Box icon.

Once you click on the icon, and your cursor will change to a cross.

Place the cursor towards the top of the page and drag it to form a text box.

Change the text inside to a suitable effect

Select the text and change it to a suitable font and size.

Now the entire fishbone diagram has been created!

Use AI tools to Add a Fishbone Diagram in Word

Are you fed up with manually creating fishbone diagrams? Struggling to deliver an impactful presentation due to cumbersome design tools? Don’t worry! Allow me to introduce you to two AI tools that can effortlessly convert text into polished infographics, including fishbone diagrams. These tools are Picdoc and Lucidchart Add-in.

Picdoc

Picdoc is a groundbreaking tool for data visualization. It leverages AI to convert text into charts effortlessly, allowing you to turn your data into visually appealing charts in mere seconds. Here are some of its key features:

• Text-to-Fishbone Chart Conversion: Simply paste the text you want to change into a fishbone diagram into Picdoc. Click the blue button on the left side of the text, wait a few seconds, and you'll see impressive charts generated based on your input.

For example, here we paste a text describing the cause-and-effect relationship. Click the blue button on the left side and you can see that Picdoc automatically generates an amazing fishbone diagram showing the right information just as the following picture shows:

• Fully Customizable Charts: Once a chart is generated, Picdoc gives you full control over its design. You can adjust colors, fonts, labels, and even change the chart type. This flexibility allows you to tailor the visuals to match your brand or presentation style.
• Completely Free: The best part? Picdoc offers a free version, enabling you to enjoy a seamless visual creation experience without any cost.

Couldn't wait to have a try? Click here to give PicDoc a shot! You won't be disappointed!

Lucidchart’s Microsoft add-in

Another powerful diagram design tool is Lucidchart’s Microsoft add-in. Manually creating a fishbone diagram in Microsoft Word can be cumbersome, but with Lucidchart's integration with Microsoft 365, it’s easy to create polished diagrams to your documents in minutes.

If you would like to insert a lucid chart diagram into your Microsoft Word diagram, the way you can start with this is by installing the Lucid chart add in in the Microsoft store. After installing, you can see the icon of Lucidchart Add-in on the top right corner.

You have the option to either browse existing diagrams or create new. Click on create new it's going to open up a new diagram here. You can choose to add a new fishbone diagram using templates.

Insert your diagram into the word by choosing browse the diagrams is going to pull up a separate window where you have a document picker.

This will allow you to insert for example, the new fishbone diagram you’ve just created. it's going to appear as an image within the word and it will have a hyperlink under the image out to the actual diagram.

What’s more, if you want to make changes in the actual diagram, just click the update images and make some changes. This is going to fetch the latest image of the diagram complete with those changes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating a fishbone diagram in Word can be a straightforward process once you get the hang of it. I hope the step-by-step guide provided here can help you efficiently organize your thoughts and visually map out cause-and-effect relationships.

However, if you're looking for a more streamlined and visually appealing solution, AI-powered chart tools like Picdoc are definitely worth exploring. Whether you're a student, a professional, or simply someone who needs to analyze complex issues, these resources can significantly boost your productivity.

Click here to give PicDoc a try and see how it can transform your data visualization experience.