Privacy Sketch: The LLM-Friendly Hand-Drawn Diagramming Tool with JSON DSL

Today, we're thrilled to announce the launch of Privacy Sketch – a revolutionary browser-based diagramming tool that combines the charm of hand-drawn aesthetics with the power of a structured JSON-based Domain Specific Language (DSL). But what makes Privacy Sketch truly special isn't just its beautiful sketchy style or its 40+ shape library – it's how it fundamentally changes the relationship between AI-generated diagrams and human editing.

If you've ever used an AI image generator to create a diagram, you know the frustration: the result is almost perfect, but that one label is wrong, or the arrow points the wrong way. With traditional image generators, you have two choices – regenerate and hope for the best, or accept the imperfection. Privacy Sketch changes everything.

What is Privacy Sketch?

Privacy Sketch is a free, browser-based diagramming tool that creates hand-drawn style diagrams using Rough.js rendering. Unlike traditional diagram tools that produce sterile, corporate-looking outputs, Privacy Sketch adds personality to your diagrams with a sketchy, approachable aesthetic that's perfect for presentations, documentation, brainstorming, and educational materials.

But the real innovation lies under the hood. Every diagram in Privacy Sketch is represented as a human-readable JSON document. This isn't just an implementation detail – it's the core design philosophy that unlocks unprecedented capabilities:

The Power of JSON DSL: Why It Matters

Most diagramming tools store your work in proprietary formats. When you save a Visio file or a Lucidchart diagram, you're locked into that ecosystem. Privacy Sketch takes the opposite approach – every diagram is a plain JSON file that you can read, understand, modify, and version control.

Here's what a simple flowchart looks like in Privacy Sketch's JSON format:

{
  "version": "2.0",
  "elements": [
    {
      "id": "start",
      "type": "ellipse",
      "x": 100, "y": 50,
      "w": 120, "h": 60,
      "options": {
        "fill": "#22c55e",
        "stroke": "#16a34a"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "start-label",
      "type": "text",
      "text": "Start",
      "x": 100, "y": 70,
      "align": "center"
    }
  ],
  "theme": { "roughness": 1.5 }
}

This structure is immediately understandable. You can see that we have an ellipse shape at position (100, 50), with a width of 120 pixels and a green fill. The text "Start" is placed inside. Every property is explicit, editable, and predictable.

Benefits of the JSON DSL Approach

• Version Control: Store your diagrams in Git alongside your code. Track changes, create branches, merge updates.
• Programmatic Generation: Write scripts to generate diagrams from data. Create org charts from HR databases, architecture diagrams from code analysis.
• Template Systems: Build reusable templates with placeholder values. Generate hundreds of customized diagrams from a single base.
• AI Integration: Large Language Models excel at generating structured JSON. Privacy Sketch's DSL was designed with AI generation in mind.

LLM Integration: The Game-Changing Workflow

Here's where Privacy Sketch truly shines compared to traditional AI image generators. Let's compare the workflows:

How LLMs Work with Privacy Sketch

Because Privacy Sketch uses a structured JSON format, LLMs like Claude, GPT-4, or Gemini can generate complete, valid diagrams. Here's a typical workflow:

1. Describe Your Diagram: "Create an org chart showing the IT department with a CIO at the top, four VPs below (Engineering, Infrastructure, Data, Security), and two teams under each VP."
2. LLM Generates JSON: The model outputs a complete Privacy Sketch JSON with all shapes, connectors, labels, and styling.
3. Paste & Render: Open Privacy Sketch's Code Panel, paste the JSON, and click Apply. Your diagram appears instantly.
4. Fine-Tune Manually: The VP of Engineering's name is wrong? Edit the text element. Need to adjust spacing? Drag the shapes in the editor or tweak the coordinates in JSON.

The key insight: You can make targeted changes without losing the rest of your work. The LLM doesn't need to regenerate everything – you edit what needs editing and keep what works.

Enterprise IT Department Org Chart – Created with Privacy Sketch

Manual Creation: A Full-Featured Editor Experience

While Privacy Sketch excels at AI-assisted diagram creation, it's equally powerful as a standalone manual editor. Whether you're sketching out ideas, creating documentation graphics, or building complex infographics, Privacy Sketch provides all the tools you need.

40+ Shape Types

Privacy Sketch includes a comprehensive shape library covering:

• Basic Shapes: Rectangle, Ellipse, Diamond, Triangle
• Geometric Shapes: Star, Heart, Hexagon, Pentagon, Cloud, Cylinder, Banner
• Flowchart Symbols: Process, Decision, Data, Database, Document, Terminator
• Annotations: Speech Bubble, Thought Bubble, Callout, Sticky Note
• Connectors: Lines, Arrows, Curved Arrows, Bidirectional Arrows
• Special: Cards, Brackets, Progress Bars, Waveforms

Each shape supports customizable properties including fill color, stroke color, stroke width, border radius, and the signature "roughness" setting that controls how sketchy the drawing appears.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Power Users

Privacy Sketch is designed for efficiency. Master these keyboard shortcuts to dramatically speed up your workflow:

Rich Styling Options

Customize every aspect of your diagrams with Privacy Sketch's styling system:

• Colors: Full hex color support for fills and strokes. Create color-coded diagrams with consistent palettes.
• Fill Styles: Solid, Hachure (hand-drawn lines), Cross-Hatch, Zigzag, and more artistic fill patterns.
• Line Styles: Solid, Dashed, Dotted lines for different relationship types.
• Roughness Control: Adjust from 0 (perfectly smooth) to 3+ (very sketchy) for the exact hand-drawn feel you want.
• Typography: Custom fonts, sizes, weights, and alignment for text elements.

Learn more in our styling documentation.

Export Options: PNG, SVG, and JSON

Privacy Sketch supports multiple export formats to fit every use case:

PNG Export

Export your diagrams as high-quality PNG images, perfect for presentations, documents, and web content. The exported images maintain the hand-drawn aesthetic at any resolution.

SVG Export

Vector graphics that scale infinitely without losing quality. Ideal for print materials, responsive websites, and when you need crisp diagrams at any size. SVG exports maintain all the sketchy styling while being fully scalable.

JSON Export

Save your work as JSON files for version control, backup, or sharing with teammates. JSON exports can be loaded back into Privacy Sketch at any time, making it easy to iterate on diagrams over time.

Real-World Examples: What You Can Create

Privacy Sketch is versatile enough for virtually any diagramming need. Here are some examples created entirely within the tool:

CI/CD Pipeline Diagrams

Document your development workflow with clear, visual pipeline diagrams. Show code flow from commit to deployment with proper stages and decision points.

Timelines & Roadmaps

Create visual timelines for project planning, historical events, or product roadmaps. The hand-drawn style makes timelines approachable and engaging.

Mind Maps & Concept Diagrams

Brainstorm ideas, map out concepts, or create educational diagrams. Privacy Sketch's flexible canvas and connector tools make it easy to build branching structures.

Infographics

Combine shapes, icons, text, and data visualizations to create compelling infographics. The sketchy style adds personality while maintaining clarity.

Process Flowcharts

Map out user journeys, business processes, or technical workflows with proper flowchart notation and decision branching.

Documentation & Getting Started

We've created comprehensive documentation to help you get the most out of Privacy Sketch:

Privacy First: Your Data Stays With You

True to the PrivacyPixTools philosophy, Privacy Sketch is built with privacy as a core principle, not an afterthought:

• No Server Uploads: Your diagrams are never sent to any server. All processing happens locally in your browser.
• No Account Required: Start creating immediately. No registration, no email collection, no tracking.
• Works Offline: Once loaded, Privacy Sketch works without an internet connection. Perfect for secure environments.
• Open Format: Your diagrams are saved as plain JSON. No vendor lock-in, no proprietary formats.
• No Analytics Tracking: We don't track your usage patterns, diagram content, or behavior.

Technical Architecture

For developers and technical users, here's how Privacy Sketch is built:

• Rendering Engine: Rough.js for the hand-drawn aesthetic, rendering to HTML5 Canvas.
• No Dependencies: Pure JavaScript with minimal external libraries. Fast loading, works everywhere.
• Modern Browser Support: Requires HTML5 Canvas, Service Workers, and ES6 support. Works in all modern browsers.
• Responsive Design: Full-screen canvas with responsive toolbar. Works on desktop and tablets.

Conclusion: Start Creating Today

Privacy Sketch represents a new paradigm in diagramming tools – one where AI generation and human editing work harmoniously together. Whether you're using LLMs to jumpstart your diagrams or creating every element by hand, Privacy Sketch gives you the control and flexibility that traditional tools lack.

The hand-drawn aesthetic makes your diagrams stand out while the JSON DSL ensures you're never locked into a proprietary format. Export to PNG, SVG, or JSON and integrate your diagrams anywhere.

Best of all, it's completely free and private.

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