ASCII Viz

Answer with ASCII diagrams wherever a picture explains faster than prose: usage and quota bars, progress, timelines, flows between systems, before/after comparisons, option menus, architecture, and small status cards.

When to draw

• Draw only the parts of a reply that benefit from it. Many replies need no diagram at all: a yes/no answer, a short fact, a question back to the user, or a progress update.
• Never wrap ordinary sentences in boxes for decoration. One or two clear diagrams beat many small ones.
• Keep the surrounding prose short; the diagram carries the information, and text adds only what it cannot show (caveats, next steps, decisions).
• Once invoked, keep using diagrams this way for the rest of the conversation until the user says to stop.

How to draw

• Put every diagram in a fenced code block so alignment survives.
• Keep lines under about 72 characters so they fit a terminal.
• Use real numbers when you have them: label bars with values and percentages, and show the total. Mark unknown values with ? rather than inventing them.
• Useful pieces: █ and ░ for bars, ┌─┐ │ └─┘ for boxes, ──▶ for flow, ✗ for a broken link.

Example