An indication of good design is if it stands the test of time. From chairs to cars, and maps to telephone kiosks, anything that is successful still inspires new designs years after the original creation. Standing the test of time means that a design has achieved longevity: only the test of time can determine true quality. When it comes to diagrams, a tried and tested old favourite which is nearing its centenary year has to be the Venn diagram.

The Venn diagram, or set diagram, was conceived around 1880 by John Venn and popularised in the early 1900s. It is used to illustrate simple set relationships in everything from probability, logic, statistics, linguistics to computer science. A Venn diagram helps visualise relationships between disparate objects, ideas or numbers. The diagram is depicted as two or more circles that overlap, and in the overlapping areas, similarities between the two concepts or numbers are shown. It gives a clear, concise, and visually pleasing illustration of complex data: in short, it's pure and simple.

And it's this simplicity, applied to data-driven shapes that make Visio 2010 one of the most powerful ways to represent complex information. When you are looking for the pure and simple solution, then the advanced diagramming tools of Visio 2010 can help you simplify complexity with dynamic, data-driven visuals that can then be shared with others on the Web in real time.

You can begin by building your diagram with professional-looking templates and modern, pre-drawn shapes. It's easy to link your diagram to popular data sources (such as Excel). You'll see data automatically refresh within your diagram, reflected in vibrant visuals such as icons, symbols, colours, and bar graphs. And, with just a few clicks, you can publish your data-linked diagram to SharePoint, and provide access to others on the Web, even if they don't have Visio.

But you don't have to be a professional shape-shifter to work wonders with Visio. You can start using Visio's range of pre-drawn shapes, sample drawings, and templates for IT, business, and process management without hesitation. In fact, Visio can help you to get off to a flying start whatever type of diagramming you need. And you can now find everything in one place to complete a diagramming task. As part of the Office 2010 suite, Visio makes use of the Ribbon with tabs, an enhanced Shapes window for easy access to shapes and stencils, and a new status bar that helps you move more efficiently within and between your diagrams. Even adding and aligning shapes is easily with the Quick Shapes Mini Toolbar, enhanced dynamic grid, automatic layout adjustment and page Auto Size.

If you need to create more complex diagrams, you can make use of the sub processes and containers to group related shapes visually and logically with Visio 2010. Both of these tools are invaluable if you need to break down complex data into bite size pieces. Containers also address sets of shapes and clarify the relationships within other diagrams.

Visio 2010 comes with a host of modern shapes and visuals, a diverse gallery of themes, and, of course, as part of Office 2010, a Live Preview. You can check diagrams to ensure they adhere to any business rules resulting in greater accuracy and consistency in diagrams. However, one of the most talked about features of Vision 2010 is the program's ability to create and monitor SharePoint work flows with a new advanced template that contains SharePoint work flow rules and logic. And, of course, you have the facility to export and import work flows between Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2010 and Visio 2010. Who knows, with your new-found expertise, Visio could help you create a unique data set diagram that could last another 100 years.