IDEA (IKEA)
lastmod 2026-02-23created 2026-02-231 edits
Explaining popular algorithms in the style of IKEA instructions
About
- A project that explains various popular algorithms by visualizing them as wordless images in the style of IKEA assembly instructions
- Breaks down quicksort, merge sort, graph search, binary search, public-key encryption, and more into intuitive picture sequences
- The goal is to convey algorithms not as obscure code but as clear, concrete, visual procedures
- All materials are published under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), so they can be freely shared and adapted for non-commercial use
- Started in 2016 and used as a teaching tool for beginners in university courses and school education
- Anyone can create new instructions using the SVG template
- The whole set can be downloaded as a single PDF
