Fishbone diagram maker

Lucidchart is an intelligent diagramming application that makes creating a fishbone diagram easy with drag-and-drop shapes, ready-to-use templates, and more.

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Analyze cause and effect with our fishbone diagram creator

Find the cause of any business problem with effective visuals

A fishbone diagram can not only help your team collaborate to identify problems, but it can also help you save time and resources as you reduce recurring issues and prioritize solutions. Commonly referred to as an Ishikawa diagram, these visuals allow for efficient analysis, pinpointing the root causes of business problems in order to better understand solutions.

Turn problems into organized solutions

Lucidchart allows you the freedom to add as many lines and as much text as you need to identify all possible root causes. Our intuitive fishbone diagram creator makes it easy to add to, group, and format any part of your diagram to keep it clutter-free and professional.

Choose a template to jump-start your brainstorming session

Begin your work in our fishbone diagram maker with inspiration from one of our many fishbone diagram templates. Our templates can help you find an appropriate starting point, provide a framework for your analysis, and highlight possible solutions for your problem.

Brainstorm causes as a group in real time

With real-time collaboration, @mention commenting, and in-editor chat functionality built into your Lucidchart canvas, you can analyze and brainstorm with your team without worrying about delays or version control. No matter where your collaborators are located or what device they’re using, you can make sure that your team’s ideas are seamlessly incorporated into your analysis.

Boost productivity with 100+ integrations

Connect Lucidchart to apps from leading providers like Google, Microsoft, and Slack. Explore the Lucid integrations marketplace for apps to streamline communication, strategic planning, task management, and more.

Lucidchart feature highlights

Streamline work by enabling multiple collaborators to create and edit the same diagram at once.

Templates to create a Fishbone diagram

Blank fishbone diagram

Go to Blank fishbone diagram template

Fishbone diagram with sub-causes

Go to Fishbone diagram with sub-causes template

Ishikawa diagram example

Go to Ishikawa diagram example template

Getting started in Lucidchart

Follow along with this video tutorial and learn how to make any type of diagram in Lucidchart.

Make a diagram

Why teams choose Lucidchart

As an intelligent diagramming application, Lucidchart provides simple yet powerful capabilities for visualizing information.

Collaboration. Bring teams together side by side on a shared canvas from anywhere in the world.

Alignment. Build transparency and shared understanding of how a team or company works.

Large-scale change. Increase visibility, standardization, and knowledge sharing across your entire org.

End-to-end workflows. Upgrade to the Lucid Suite for a complete, connected visual collaboration solution.

What is a fishbone diagram?

A fishbone diagram is also known as an Ishikawa diagram, herringbone diagram, or cause-and-effect diagram. This is because it describes the potential causes of a given problem or outcome. The diagram resembles an actual fish bone, with a long line running down the center pointing to the main outcome, also called the "problem statement". The other bones branch out from the middle bone and represent different categories of causes.

Additional Lucidchart resources

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Lucidchart pricing

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Frequently asked questions about diagramming in Lucidchart

How do I create and use lines in Lucidchart?

It’s easy to add, modify, and format lines in Lucidchart. Click and drag lines or use smart lines for a more streamlined experience.

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How do I add and modify text in my diagram?

Lucidchart makes it simple to add and format text anywhere in your diagram. Further manage your text by adding or uploading fonts and using our grammar tools.

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How long does the free trial last?

Lucidchart trials last for 7 days with no commitment—cancel anytime. We'll send you an email reminder before your trial expires.

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What other templates does Lucidchart have for brainstorming and process analysis?

We offer templates for mind maps, concept maps, affinity diagrams, and other diagrams ideal for brainstorming. We also have flowcharts, tree diagrams, SWOT analysis diagrams, and other diagrams for process improvement.

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Everything you need to make a diagram

In addition to our fishbone diagram maker, Lucidchart offers support and training resources to help you branch out to any type of diagram.

Lucid Training