A whiteboard for system design and architecture sketches
Whether you’re preparing for a system design interview or reviewing a real architecture, you need to draw boxes and flows quickly and talk while you do it. Wobbleboard stays out of the way.
Sketch the components
- Boxes for services, cylinders-by-convention for databases (draw a rounded rectangle and label it), and clouds or frames for network boundaries.
- Group a service with its notes using Ctrl+G, then move it as one unit.
- Label arrows with protocols or payloads such as “HTTPS”, “gRPC” or “events”.
Talk while you draw
Use the laser pointer (K) to walk through a request path without leaving marks, and frames (F) to separate “current design”, “scaling” and “failure modes” into zoomable sections.
In an interview, practise the pace on your own: no template to fight and nothing to set up beyond opening the page.
Review it with others
Invite reviewers into a live session so comments become edits on the diagram itself, then export an SVG for the design doc. For database models, see the ER diagram maker.
Frequently asked questions
Is it good for system design interviews?
It’s a plain, fast canvas, which suits interview practice: shapes, arrows, text and a laser pointer without distractions. Check what tool your interviewer expects and practise on that one too.
Does it have cloud architecture icons?
Not built in. You can import icon sets as a shape library or paste in your own images and SVGs.
Can I keep a design diagram next to my code?
Export to SVG and commit it, or commit the .excalidraw scene file so teammates can edit it later.
Keep exploring
Build flowcharts fast: connected shapes, arrows that follow, elbow connectors and keyboard shortcuts. Free online flowchart maker, no sign-up.
Collaborate on a whiteboard in real time with live cursors. Share a link, no sign-up for guests, and everything is end-to-end encrypted.
Make diagrams that look hand-drawn: flowcharts, wireframes and architecture sketches with a natural wobbly style. Free in your browser.
Try it now
Open a blank canvas — no sign-up, nothing to install.