Google Docs or, in Italian, Google Docs, has added Drawing (Disegni), a new web application to the suite of online tools that already included Word, Excel, Powerpoint and a section dedicated to creating forms to fill out. All these Google online tools have four basic characteristics in common:
1) They can be used for free
2) Any new document, project or design can be shared with anyone or only with a small circle of people.
3) Multiple people can work on the same document or project by collaborating remotely.
4) They are programs that do not require installation on the computer because they work directly from the browser to surf the internet.
Drawings is the application to draw on an online whiteboard as you would do on the computer using programs such as Windows Paint or other better programs for drawing by hand on the PC such as My Paint.
Google Docs Disegni is not only a freehand drawing program but above all it allows you to draw shapes, patterns and diagrams making it become something similar to Microsoft Visio (see also free Visio-like programs to draw diagrams and flow charts) .
To start Drawings, just go to Google Drawings (everything is in Italian), click on Create new and then on Drawing .
The application is not sophisticated for professional use only but is suitable for all needs, remaining simple but still full of features for the basic design and the graphic representation of schemes and ideas.
By simply using the mouse it is possible to immediately draw a variety of shapes, lines, arrows, curves, using different strokes and colors.
The most interesting thing is the possibility of drawing rectangular or oval shapes that become the typical figures for creating flowcharts or hierarchical schemes .
From the insert menu you can add the shapes by choosing one from the many available and you can connect them with lines and arrows, decorate the edges in different ways and assign colors.
Elements can be sorted and rotated on the page so that charts, flowcharts or mind maps can be created.
Within each figure or even to write external comments, you can also add text with the help of Word Art with more captivating writing styles.
The fonts are quite limited, but they may suffice unless you are working on a topographic art project.
All designs are vectors, so you can change the size of each shape and image easily by dragging the corners.
The other most important function of Google Drawings is the ability to import images into the project.
You can thus quickly create a graphic or a technical / artistic drawing by adding the images and photos on the sheet, using either those that are saved on your computer or online searchable by Google image search.
From the menu insert -> images, a new window opens with three options: from computer, from URL or from Google Search.
After inserting the image into the sheet, you can resize it and move it wherever you prefer.
Each new drawing can be saved directly in one of the Google Docs folders, with or without sharing with others, or it can be downloaded to your computer as a JPG, PNG, SVG, PDF file.
Each saved drawing can then be integrated into any other Google Docs document so as to quickly move the diagrams on slides of Powerpoint presentations or Word documents.
This integration works through a copy and paste separate from the normal Windows one.
In fact, what you copy from Google Docs is stored in Web Clipboard and you can thus move objects from one element to another.
Also, if you paste a design into another document, it becomes a copy from the original and both can be edited independently.
With Google Docs in general and with Disegni in particular it is possible to work in collaboration with other people .
By clicking on the Share button at the top right, you can share the drawing or graphic with anyone or just a few people and allow them to edit the document.
Each design can then be emailed to other publishers or viewers.
From the Google Docs templates page you can see many pre-set and freely usable drawings and graphics to start from something already done.
Probably this tool does not offer anything to upset but it must be taken into consideration for the fact that it is online, very fast and without waiting for loading and even a child can use it given its simplicity.
