<p>This article aims to discuss the family vision from the systems theory and the evolution of the analysis over time, with tools such as the genogram and the ecomap, for which multiple symbologies have been established without a universal standardization. The study of the family through these instruments is constituted as a pillar in the integral approach of the individual, since the interaction of each of the members of the family system with each other and with external factors determines the family dynamics and the way it responds to different events, including the health-disease process. Therefore, the aim is to establish a guide for the development of the family genogram and ecomap with a single symbology for the family medicine resident through a documentary review, taking into account that these instruments are useful in clinical and community practice, and the importance of the unification of criteria in the elaboration, for the achievement of an adequate interpretation. For the documentary review, a search was carried out in databases such as Pubmed, SciELO and Embase, based on review articles, clinical trials and meta-analysis.</p>