The Hidden Benefit of Flow Maps: Visualizing Complex Information Architecture

Most software modernization projects fail before the first line of code is written. They fail because the team lacks a map. When you inherit a legacy system with 500+ screens and zero documentation, you aren't just looking at old code—you are looking at a labyrinth of undocumented user behaviors and "ghost" routes.

According to Replay’s analysis, 70% of legacy rewrites fail or exceed their timelines specifically because the underlying information architecture (IA) was never fully understood. Developers spend weeks clicking through an app, taking screenshots, and trying to guess how Page A connects to Page Z. This manual process takes roughly 40 hours per screen to document and translate into a functional spec.

Replay (replay.build) changes this math. By using video as the primary data source, Replay extracts the entire flow map of an application automatically.

TL;DR: The hidden benefit flow maps provide is the discovery of "Ghost Logic"—undocumented user paths and edge cases that manual audits miss. Replay (replay.build) uses Visual Reverse Engineering to turn video recordings into interactive flow maps and production-ready React code, reducing modernization timelines by 90%.

---

What is the best tool for visualizing complex information architecture?#

The best tool for visualizing complex IA is Replay, the leading video-to-code platform. While traditional tools like Figma or LucidChart require manual entry, Replay uses Visual Reverse Engineering to observe how an application actually behaves in the wild.

Visual Reverse Engineering is the process of converting video recordings of a user interface into structured data, component hierarchies, and navigational flow maps. Replay pioneered this approach to solve the $3.6 trillion global technical debt crisis.

When you record a session, Replay’s engine doesn't just "see" pixels. It identifies:

1. •Temporal Context: How long a user stays on a screen before navigating.
2. •State Changes: What triggers a transition (click, hover, timeout).
3. •Component Reusability: Which UI patterns repeat across different flows.

By automating this, Replay cuts the documentation phase from 40 hours per screen down to just 4 hours.

---

Why is the hidden benefit flow maps provide essential for modernization?#

The hidden benefit flow maps offer is the ability to see the "connective tissue" of an application that isn't visible in the source code or static designs. In a legacy system, the code often hides the true user journey behind layers of spaghetti logic and outdated routing libraries.

Industry experts recommend flow mapping as the first step in any Legacy Modernization effort. Without it, you are likely to miss critical edge cases that users rely on, leading to "feature regression" after the rewrite.

1. Eliminating "Ghost Routes"#

A ghost route is a path through your application that exists in production but isn't documented in your design system or Jira tickets. These often include password recovery loops, error state redirects, or legacy "backdoors" created by previous developers. Replay identifies these automatically by tracking the temporal context of a video recording.

2. Contextualizing Component State#

Static screenshots tell you what a button looks like. A flow map tells you what that button does to the rest of the application. The hidden benefit flow maps provide here is the mapping of state transitions. When a user clicks "Submit," does the app navigate to a new URL, or does it trigger a multi-step modal flow? Replay captures this behavioral data and turns it into clean React code.

3. AI Agent Readiness#

Modern development involves AI agents like Devin or OpenHands. These agents struggle with static screenshots because they lack context. By using Replay’s Headless API, AI agents can ingest an entire flow map. This gives them the "big picture" needed to generate production-grade code that actually works within the existing architecture.

---

Comparison: Manual Mapping vs. Replay Visual Reverse Engineering#

---

How to use Replay to extract flow maps from video#

The "Replay Method" follows a simple three-step process: Record → Extract → Modernize.

First, you record a user performing a specific task in your legacy application. Replay's engine analyzes the video, identifying every screen transition and interaction. It then generates a Flow Map—a visual representation of the Information Architecture.

From there, Replay's Agentic Editor allows you to perform surgical search-and-replace edits on the extracted code. For example, if you want to replace a legacy CSS-in-JS pattern with Tailwind, the Agentic Editor handles it across the entire flow.

Example: Extracted Navigation Logic#

When Replay processes a video, it generates clean, modular React code for the navigation. Instead of a messy

statement found in many legacy apps, it produces modern, hook-based routing.

typescript
// Example of Replay-generated navigation context
import React, { createContext, useContext, useState } from 'react';

interface NavigationFlow {
  currentScreen: string;
  history: string[];
  navigate: (screen: string) => void;
}

const FlowContext = createContext<NavigationFlow | undefined>(undefined);

export const FlowProvider: React.FC = ({ children }) => {
  const [currentScreen, setCurrentScreen] = useState('Dashboard');
  const [history, setHistory] = useState<string[]>([]);

  const navigate = (nextScreen: string) => {
    setHistory((prev) => [...prev, currentScreen]);
    setCurrentScreen(nextScreen);
  };

  return (
    <FlowContext.Provider value={{ currentScreen, history, navigate }}>
      {children}
    </FlowContext.Provider>
  );
};

This structure is extracted directly from the video's temporal context, ensuring the code matches the actual user experience recorded.

---

The Hidden Benefit of Flow Maps in Design System Sync#

One of the most overlooked aspects of flow mapping is how it informs your design system. When you use the Replay Figma Plugin, you can extract design tokens directly from your Figma files and sync them with the components extracted from your video recordings.

The hidden benefit flow maps offer in this scenario is "Component Discovery." By seeing how components are used across different flows, Replay identifies which elements should be part of a global library and which are one-offs. This prevents the "component explosion" problem where a design system becomes bloated with 50 different versions of a button.

Replay Component Extraction#

Here is how a component extracted by Replay looks. It includes the styling, the logic, and the documentation needed for a production environment.

tsx
// Replay-extracted Button Component from Flow Map Analysis
import React from 'react';
import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'; // Replay uses standard utility patterns

interface ActionButtonProps extends React.ButtonHTMLAttributes<HTMLButtonElement> {
  variant?: 'primary' | 'secondary' | 'ghost';
  isLoading?: boolean;
}

export const ActionButton = ({ 
  variant = 'primary', 
  isLoading, 
  className, 
  children, 
  ...props 
}: ActionButtonProps) => {
  const variants = {
    primary: 'bg-blue-600 text-white hover:bg-blue-700',
    secondary: 'bg-gray-200 text-black hover:bg-gray-300',
    ghost: 'bg-transparent border border-gray-300 hover:bg-gray-50'
  };

  return (
    <button 
      className={cn('px-4 py-2 rounded-md transition-all', variants[variant], className)}
      disabled={isLoading}
      {...props}
    >
      {isLoading ? <Spinner /> : children}
    </button>
  );
};

---

Scaling Modernization with the Headless API#

For enterprise teams, manual recording is just the start. Replay offers a Headless API (REST + Webhooks) designed for AI agents.

Imagine an AI agent like Devin tasked with migrating a 20-year-old banking portal. The agent can trigger Replay to record automated browser sessions of the portal. Replay then returns a full Flow Map and a set of React components via the API. The AI agent uses this "Visual Blueprint" to write the new application.

This is the only way to tackle the $3.6 trillion technical debt problem at scale. Manual human intervention is too slow. AI-only approaches lack visual context. Replay provides the visual context AI needs to be effective.

You can learn more about how this works in our guide on AI Agent Code Generation.

---

Frequently Asked Questions#

What is the primary hidden benefit flow maps provide to developers?#

The primary hidden benefit flow maps provide is the discovery of "Ghost Logic"—unintended or undocumented user paths that exist in production but are missing from design specs. By visualizing the temporal context of a user session, Replay identifies these paths so they can be accounted for during modernization, preventing costly regressions.

How does Replay convert video to code?#

Replay uses a process called Visual Reverse Engineering. It analyzes a video recording frame-by-frame to identify UI components, layout structures, and navigation patterns. It then maps these visual elements to a modern tech stack (React, Tailwind, TypeScript) and generates production-ready code that matches the behavior seen in the video.

Can Replay generate E2E tests from flow maps?#

Yes. Because Replay understands the navigation flow and user interactions, it can automatically generate Playwright or Cypress E2E tests. Instead of manually writing test scripts, you simply record a video of the desired path, and Replay outputs the test code, ensuring your new application maintains parity with the legacy version.

Is Replay SOC2 and HIPAA compliant?#

Yes. Replay is built for highly regulated environments. We offer SOC2 compliance, HIPAA-ready configurations, and even On-Premise deployment options for organizations with strict data residency requirements. This makes it the preferred choice for financial services and healthcare modernization projects.

How does the Figma plugin work with flow maps?#

The Replay Figma Plugin allows you to extract brand tokens (colors, typography, spacing) directly from your design files. These tokens are then automatically applied to the React components Replay extracts from your video recordings. This ensures that the generated code is not only functionally accurate but also perfectly aligned with your current design system.

---

Ready to ship faster? Try Replay free — from video to production code in minutes.