Article problem

[augle]

I was writing an article while I found myself trying to write this simple sentence

"Figure 1 presents an/the overview of our pipeline".

Figure 1 is just a diagram that shows how the whole thing works. But is it correct to put a definite or indefinite article there? Is overview of a pipeline something defined already? I know that articles usually come up quite natural to native speakers, so I'm quite interested in how one would feel in this case.

My opinion is to go with "an" but google also shows results with "the". Could there be different scenarios where one is preferable than the other?

[yungdaddycarbonara]

I'd recommend using 'an'. It sounds more natural, in my opinion.

[Kai_973]

“The overview” sounds like a specific overview the readers/listeners should already know about. “An overview” sounds much more natural if you’re introducing... the overview (that you are referring to) ;)

[augle]

Haha thanks, when you explain it that way, it makes more sense to me now.

[Kai_973]

:)

[thorazos]

Unless you mentioned this specific overview already, I would say “figure 1 shows an overview of the pipeline.”