Visual Content Blocks for Richer Documents

The most effective documents combine words with visuals. A well-placed diagram explains what three paragraphs cannot. A timeline makes a project plan scannable in seconds. An interactive whiteboard turns a static spec into a collaborative canvas.

Quixli includes a suite of visual content blocks that go far beyond what traditional document editors offer. This guide walks through the most powerful visual blocks and when to use each one.

Excalidraw: A Whiteboard Inside Your Document

Excalidraw is an open-source virtual whiteboard with a hand-drawn aesthetic. In Quixli, it lives directly inside your document — no external tool, no separate window, no broken embed links.

What you can draw:

• Freeform shapes, arrows, and connectors

• Architecture diagrams and system overviews

• Wireframes and low-fidelity UI sketches

• Mind maps and brainstorming canvases

• Flowcharts with a hand-drawn feel

When to use Excalidraw vs Mermaid:

• Excalidraw — When you need freeform, creative visuals. Architecture overviews, brainstorms, wireframes

• Mermaid — When you need precise, text-defined diagrams. Flowcharts, sequence diagrams, Gantt charts

Excalidraw drawings are saved as part of the document and render beautifully in shared and exported views.

Mermaid Diagrams: Code-Defined Visuals

Mermaid lets you create diagrams from simple text syntax. Type the structure, and the renderer produces the visual. This is ideal for diagrams that need to be version-controlled, reviewed, or updated frequently.

Supported diagram types:

• Flowcharts — Decision trees, process flows, system architectures

• Sequence diagrams — API call flows, user interactions, service communication

• Gantt charts — Project timelines, sprint planning, release schedules

• Class diagrams — Data models, entity relationships, inheritance hierarchies

• State diagrams — State machines, workflow transitions

• Pie charts — Data distribution, survey results, budget breakdowns

• ER diagrams — Database schema visualization

Example — a sequence diagram for an API authentication flow:

sequenceDiagram
    participant Client
    participant API
    participant Auth
    participant DB

    Client->>API: POST /login (email, password)
    API->>Auth: Validate credentials
    Auth->>DB: Query user by email
    DB-->>Auth: User record
    Auth-->>API: JWT token
    API-->>Client: 200 OK { token }

Timeline Block: Visualize Events in Order

The timeline block displays events chronologically — perfect for project milestones, company history, product roadmaps, and change logs.

Each timeline entry includes:

• A date or date range

• A title and description

• An optional icon or color

• Support for past, current, and future states

Timelines render as a clean vertical or horizontal strip, making it easy to see the progression of events at a glance. They are especially effective in proposals and project updates.

Calendar Block: Date-Based Content Views

The calendar block provides a month-view grid for date-based content. Use it for:

• Editorial calendars and content schedules

• Sprint planning with daily tasks

• Event schedules and availability

• Release date tracking

Events are color-coded and clickable, showing details in a popover. The calendar block is interactive in the editor and renders as a clean static view when shared.

Matrix Grid: Compare Options Side by Side

The matrix grid block creates structured comparison tables — ideal for feature comparisons, decision matrices, and evaluation rubrics.

Use cases:

• Vendor comparison matrices

• Feature comparison tables for product documentation

• Risk assessment grids

• Evaluation scorecards for hiring or procurement

Math Equations with KaTeX

For technical and academic documents, the math block renders LaTeX equations beautifully using KaTeX. Write inline equations or full display blocks:

E = mc^2
\int_{0}^{\infty} e^{-x} dx = 1
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^2} = \frac{\pi^2}{6}

Equations render in real-time as you type, with a preview panel showing the formatted output.

Choosing the Right Visual Block

• Need a freeform drawing? → Excalidraw

• Need a structured diagram? → Mermaid

• Showing events over time? → Timeline

• Scheduling dates? → Calendar

• Comparing options? → Matrix Grid

• Writing equations? → Math (KaTeX)

• Showing tabular data? → Table block

Visual blocks transform documents from walls of text into rich, scannable, and engaging content. Every block is inserted with a simple slash command and renders beautifully in both the editor and shared views.

Explore all visual blocks in Quixli — type / to see the full list.