A mind map is a diagram used to represent concepts, ideas, tasks or other items linked to a central theme. The main ideas related to the central theme radiate in a clockwise direction from that central theme as "branches". Topics and ideas of lesser importance are represented as "sub-branches" of their relevant branch. By presenting the relationships between ideas in a non-linear graphical manner, mind mapping encourages a brainstorming approach to the handling and organization of information.
People have been organizing their thoughts for centuries by drawing graphical "tree-like" representations of their ideas, particularly in the areas of psychology and education. The concept of the modern mind map was developed by Tony Buzan, a British psychologist and businessman, who argued that the radial structure of mind maps, reinforced by the use of lines, symbols, words, color and images, is much more in line with the brain's natural way of processing information than the traditional linear approach. According to the mind mapping theory, the use of mind maps is therefore not only significantly more conducive to memory retention, but also promotes creativity, organization and analytical skills.
Mind maps can be used for taking notes, organizing ideas, various planning and management tasks, problem solving, brainstorming, presentations and countless other tasks and applications. They have many strengths and benefits: they are easy to work with, their visual style means that they are easy to overview and remember, and the creative and collaborative nature of mind mapping means that they stimulate the imagination, boost motivation, improve productivity, promote team spirit, encourage group communication and optimize work processes.
Building a mind map typically consists of the following steps:
Start from the central
concept or issue. For more information, see "Creating
and opening a mind map".
Create branches and sub-branches
to capture all related ideas and issues. For more information, see "Inserting branches".
Add pictures, documents,
time and task information and hyperlinks as needed to each branch. For
more information, see "Inserting icons",
"Inserting pictures", "Attaching objects", "Inserting items
from the Research panel", "Entering
time and task information" and "Creating
hyperlinks".
Arrange the branches
logically, and select a suitable layout for the mind map. For more information,
see "Moving a branch", "Formatting a branch" and "Designing a mind map".
Create visual links between
related branches. For more information, see "Creating
branch connections".
Present
or distribute your mind map. For more information, see "Exporting
to Word", "Exporting
to Google Docs", "Exporting
to PowerPoint", "Exporting
to PDF", "Exporting
as a picture", "Publishing
a mind map" and "Printing
a mind map".
Lines, symbols, words, color and images reinforce the structure of your mind map and make it much easier to understand. Use visuals like these wherever possible to illustrate and organize your mind map. It is considered good practice, for example, to insert a branch picture on the root to illustrate the subject of a mind map. It is also a good idea to use formatting such as colors, fonts and icons to immediately make it clear to the viewer which parts of the mind map belong together. Just remember to use visual elements consistently (and sparingly) to avoid overloading the mind map.
Avoid entering long texts in your branch labels and text notes. As with a PowerPoint presentation, much of the appeal of a mind map lies in its visual nature, and lengthy texts can clutter an otherwise clear and well-structured mind map. If you need to explain detailed or complex issues, consider attaching a Word file describing these issues in detail, or inserting a hyperlink to a website with more information.
As you work on organizing your ideas, you may often realize that one or more branches need to be moved to a different location in the mind map. For example, you can decide to convert a sub-topic to a main topic by moving the corresponding sub-branch to the root, or allocate a sub-topic to a different main topic by moving the corresponding sub-branch to a different main branch. Always make sure that the elements of your mind map are located where they belong.
With the multi-user editing feature in MindView Online, several users can collaborate on a mind map simultaneously. This is a quick and effective way of gathering input, ideas and suggestions from several stakeholders, shortening development times and improving the quality of the final mind map. All you need to do is to share your mind map with other users and give them Write access. For more information, see "Sharing files and folders".