Tree of InfluenceColors and shapes
How node types are drawn.
One shape for every node
Every node is the same shape: a sticky note or a plain rectangle. Shape carries no meaning. A problem and an outcome look alike except for their color and position.
Uniform shapes keep construction fast. During a live session, people should be writing down ideas, not choosing shapes.
If a board ends up with a mix of sticky notes and rectangles, for example because the tool changed halfway through, the mix means nothing. Only a shape difference explained in the legend carries meaning.
Four colors
Color tells the reader each node's type at a glance.
Diagram as text: Node colors, including nodes not yet typed
- Root / Problem, marked [P]: something wrong or difficult.
- Action / Intervention, marked [A]: a step between problems and outcomes.
- Desired State / Outcome, marked [O]: a state the group wants to reach.
- Artifact / Deliverable, marked [D]: something that exists or should exist.
- Not yet typed: type decided later, during refinement.
| Node type | Color | Hex | Text color | Usual position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root / Problem | Dark brown | #6B3A2A |
White | Bottom or left |
| Action / Intervention | Amber | #D97706 |
Dark | Middle |
| Desired State / Outcome | Forest green | #2D7D46 |
White | Top or right |
| Artifact / Deliverable | Indigo | #4A5BAF |
White | Next to the nodes it relates to |
The colors follow the tree: brown roots, amber branches, green leaves, and indigo fruit. Even a reader who has never seen a Tree of Influence can tell which end holds the problems and which holds the goals.
Color rules
- Color after you know the type. During Seed, new nodes may stay white or the tool's default color. Apply the type color during Connect, once the node's role is clear. A white node is valid; it means "type not decided yet."
- Use only the colors you need. If a tree has no artifacts, indigo is simply unused, and the legend leaves it out.
- Do not add a fifth color. Sub-types, variants, and experiments do not get their own color. If you think a new node type is needed, raise it as an open question instead of inventing a color.
- Stay consistent within a diagram. If your tool cannot take hex values, pick the closest swatch. Matching colors within one diagram matters more than matching exact hex values across diagrams.
On a physical wall, use the closest sticky note colors you have. The meaning stays the same.
Text
The text on the node carries the meaning. Color is an orientation aid. A well-written node makes sense even without its color: "Setting up a laptop takes a week" is clearly a problem.
Any readable font at a comfortable size works.