So how do we create a bubble diagram?
To begin, you'll want to take a look at your adjacency matrix and the spatial relationships you've defined. A good place to start is always an entry point. This may be a foyer or mudroom for residential or an elevator lobby for commercial. From there, build out your space logically based on the rooms you've listed. You'll want to consider activity levels, circulation and flow, and function.
For example, in our residential home example from the adjacency matrix, you may start with a small circle indicating your entry. From there, you'll place a larger circle indicating the living room. Consider how you want the flow of the house. Is the living room adjacent to a dining room? Maybe a hallway to first floor bedrooms? Think about the proximity of bedrooms to the kitchen, bathroom, and living room. How will those relate when you build out your bubble diagram? Play around with different ideas - multiple attempts can help problem solve and lead to a more effective layout.
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In the above commercial example, the designer is determining the layout for a performance space. The relationships for the areas shown are denoted not just by their relation to other bubbles but also how the bubbles interact and their color. For example, in this space, guests enter in the gallery store. As part of the store, a cash wrap and merch displays are shown. Since these are both part of the gallery store, they stay the same color. The gallery store bubble then overlaps the overall performance space indicating they are directly connected. As we move towards the back of the space, the small rectangles with arrows show a corridor off of which are the collaboration studio, consultation room, and bathroom. None of these spaces overlap and therefore exist separately.
Check out the video below for a short tutorial on how to use a bubble diagram to plan your space!