The Concept of Mind Mapping
A mind map is also known as a “spider diagram” and it is a visual thinking tool. It is used to structure information and generate ideas.
Its power lies in its simplicity. Mind maps have a simple and hierarchical structure. They start from a central idea, and then they branch out key elements, which can branch out their own elements and so on.
All the information radiates from the center (main idea) to out (the connected ideas and sub-ideas).
Mind maps imitate the brain’s way of thinking: bouncing ideas. This is why they are a better option for organizing information than linear notes or plain text.
To understand a text, you have to read it. Reading is a two-step process; first, you interpret the sentences, then you create a mental image and hold it in your mind.
To understand a mind map, you need to visualize it. A mind map directly represents the mental image that you would have to create after reading a text. You get the gist of things in a single step, not two.
The information is not flat and lifeless but becomes interactive and worth exploring. It raises questions and makes us think. Visualization turns information into knowledge, insight, and action.
Compare these two ways of representing the same information:
As plain text:
Versailles is a French commune, capital of the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region, known worldwide for its castle as well as for its gardens, sites classified by UNESCO as sites of outstanding cultural value to humanity. According to the 2015 census, the city has 85,771 inhabitants.
As a mind map:
Mind map elements
A mind map consists of objects and features, which represent information. We can describe the anatomy of a mind map in two ways; by its features and by the features’ purposes when used in a mind map. Knowing the name of each feature will help you get started with mind maps. Knowing each feature’s purpose will help you create useful and meaningful mind maps.
Any mind map is made up of “topics”. All the elements in the mind map are topics, but some of them have special names. In mind mapping and in other related software, these topics are also called “branches”, “nodes” or “thoughts”.
The mind map's three main elements are:
The topic is represented by the central concept which is the parent concept to the ideas that are connected to it. Topics are usually represented by single words or images (or both).
2. Subtopics (occurrences)
The subtopics are the subideas connected to the topics. They are also called children. A mind map can have multiple levels according to the number of “generations” of subideas. Like the topics, they usually are composed of single words or short phrases which can be accompanied by images or icons.
3. Connecting lines (associations)
The connecting lines represent the association between a topic and a subtopic. Usually, they are curved lines, but they can also be straight lines.
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Every mind map has a Central topic, which is where the map starts. There is only one Central topic.
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Attached to the Central topic are the Main topics. You can have as many main topics as you can fit into the mind map.
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Attached to the Main topics are the Subtopics. Again, you can have as many as you like. They can also have subtopics of their own.
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An unattached topic in the background is called a Floating topic. It belongs to the mind map, but is not joined to the tree.
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You can draw Boundaries around a topic and its subtopics, to visually highlight them as a group.
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You can draw Relationships between topics, to visually show a connection that crosses the tree.
Use mind maps in any way that suits you. But for them to be useful in the longer term, and for others to understand them, here are some suggested conventions that will make your maps easier to work with:
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Give your mind map a clear title in the Central topic, or better still, state its purpose. It might be to collect information, capture a brainstorm, make a decision, make a presentation, or many other applications.
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If your mind map makes a conclusion or describes a situation, present the main conclusions or summaries near to the center of the mind map, with the supporting evidence and detail below them.
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If your mind map proposes new ideas, then show the big ideas near to the center, with the details underneath.
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If your mind map organizes information, then try to get the main headings near the center and break them down into smaller groups, so that there is a natural way to “drill down” to the detail.
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If your mind map is helping to make a decision, then state the decision near the center of the mind map and put the related factors and data underneath.
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Use Floating topics to put an extra caption or legend on your mind map.
Many people think that mind maps and concept maps are the same things. However, there are some differences between concept mapping and mind mapping techniques.
Firstly, the concept maps have also a topic maps’ structure, but the difference is that the connecting lines are replaced with labeled arrows. The labels have the role to explain the relationship between the concepts.
Secondly, a concept map has a more flexible layout and it has many-to-many relationships. In other words, in a concept map presenting information is more detailed and the concepts are connected between each other.
History of mind mapping
He mentioned and made the “mind map” term popular in 1974 on a BBC TV series when he talked about radial thinking.
He introduced this term, but the technique itself has roots from the 3rd century, when philosophers started to use graphic elements to diagram ideas, concepts, and thoughts.
When Buzan created this concept, he was inspired by big names of their history, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, and later on by Joseph D. Novak (who created the concept maps).
Since it was discovered and until now, the process of creation has changed from drawing to digital building. Therefore you can create a mind map using pen and paper or advanced mind map software.
Traditional vs Digital mind maps
Compared to linear note-taking or plain text, presenting information into a diagram is much better. But which one is better: the traditional or the digital mind map?
How to make a mind map? You can create a mind map with ease on a blank page, using just your thoughts, a pen, and paper. However, a software will offer you significant advantages:
- You can easily edit the map by dragging and dropping topics, as your ideas come up, without squeezing topics.
- You can add images, videos and audio files, links, or icons.
- Many mind mapping software offer a big variety of templates.
- You can share your map and collaborate in real-time with other people. When you create a mind map online you store all your mind maps on a cloud and you can access them anywhere anytime.
What are mind maps good for?
Mind maps are not a great tool just to understand concepts faster, they are a versatile tool that can simplify your life a lot. “A picture is worth a thousand words“, as they said. Being a visual representation of an idea, it can be a very complex accumulation of information represented in a diagram. You can use mind maps for so many other activities to ease your life, such as:
- brainstorming
- planning and organizing
- problem-solving
- studying
- structuring courses
- structuring a CV
- make book summaries
- structuring essays
- taking notes
- making lists
- presentations
- etc.
There are so many mind map ideas you can try, starting from general ones (as mentioned above), or creating your own ones for specific purposes.
Common mind map types
While there are many different ways to use mind maps in a wide range of applications, there are a few common types of mind maps that are useful everywhere:
- Reference mind maps for keeping track of information
- Presentation mind maps for presenting or training
- Planning mind maps for creating plans
Reference mind maps contain information organized so that you can find it again easily. Many subjects can be broken down and represented this way. You can start by collecting ideas and facts, then reorganizing them into sections and subsections, so that you get a complete overview.
Use this mind map type for:
- Assembling documents or reports - the topic texts will become the section headings when you export the mind map to a word processor.
- Collecting resources - capture and organize resources such as web pages, companies, and information about people.
- Learning about a subject - build a mind map of information and facts to help you learn and revise.
- Keeping lists - keep track of detailed information in categories in different parts of your mind map.
Presentation mind maps usually tell a story or make a point with a call to action. In contrast to the reference mind maps, these maps will support your talks by keeping the audience focused on your message.
Unlike a linear PowerPoint presentation, where your audience cannot see where you are headed or where you have been, the main messages are always in view, and the presentation pinpoints the context of those messages.
Many presenters like to have drama or surprises in their presentations, but your busy colleagues might not always appreciate this, and sometimes you can run out of time before getting to the key point. A mind map makes your message and intent very clear.
Use this mind map type for:
- Presentations where a decision or action is needed
- Training sessions
- Presentation handouts
Planning mind maps are ideal when you’re organizing a project or goal. Start by placing the desired outcome at the center of your mind map. Then, structure all surrounding ideas as steps leading toward that goal—like arrows pointing at a target. The actions required to reach the outcome should build upon one another: tasks to be done at the beginning of the project will be positioned near the outer edges, while tasks scheduled for later stages will be closer to the center.
Mindomo lets you add task resources, start and end dates, and durations to topics that represent actions. You can also add information topics in the context of the actions where they are needed.
Use this mind map type for:
- Agreeing draft project plans
- Working out the order in which things need to be done
- Analyzing the root causes of a problem or issue
What is a mind map template?
Mind map templates are prefilled mind maps containing placeholders you can fill in with your own information. There are also guidelines explaining how to fill each topic and suggesting ideas.
You can find a wide range of templates, such as:
Benefits of mind mapping
Mind mapping has a wide range of benefits for education, business, and personal life.
Better understanding
The brain directly comprehends the concepts and the connection between them, and it doesn’t have to interpret first, as it does with plain text. There is research showing that students who use mind mapping have better grades, as explained in Johns Hopkins’s study.
Better memory
All the visual elements increase the retention of information, which is why educators use mind maps for kids and students for education purposes.
Creativity
All the visual elements increase the retention of information. This is one of the main reasons why a mind map is a diagram often used for education purposes.
Better management
You can beat procrastination when you have everything planned. The main advantage is that you can focus on a specific branch of a mind map with tasks while always having the overview in front of your eyes. This way you won’t lose sight of the main goal when you focus on the details.
Who should use mind maps?
Managers: Project planning was never easier. All the complex projects can be simplified using a mind map. It’s easily shareable with the whole team and it’s simple to monitor the progress. All the complex spreadsheets can become engaging mind maps that make more sense and are easy to follow.
Business persons: A mind map comes in handy for every business owner person. It’s great for analysis, to-do lists, decision making, business plans, marketing strategies, and many more. Another big advantage is that mind maps are easy to access anytime from anywhere. Moreover, it’s very simple to edit them whenever it’s needed.
Creators: The digital world brought to life many creative occupations like vloggers, and bloggers who can benefit from mind mapping by planning the whole content. Moreover, writers, designers, marketing specialists, or any other profession that involves imagination can use this technique for brainstorming.
Teachers: Education is one of the fields that benefit the most from mind mapping. Teachers can use this technique to structure courses, create collaborative assignments for students, explain any subject in a more understandable way, present mind maps to students, or create book summaries.
Students: For a student, mind mapping feels like cheating. It eases the study process, retention, and understanding. The students can use it in many situations in school: for note-taking, studying, structuring courses for exams, structuring essays, or even preparing for the first job by creating a resume using this layout.
Researchers: Big research has lots of information which must be structured carefully to be able to get the most out of it. Mind maps help to keep all this information in one place, keeping a nice design and making it easy to find what you need fast and easy.
Consultants: Any consultant can improve the organization of all the information about and for the customers. Moreover, it’s very easy for a consultant to share the knowledge he/she has with a customer by using a mind map structure. It’s also a great way to keep relevant data about each customer.
Everyone: Mind mapping is great for work and education, but it’s amazing for personal purposes as well. It’s a great way to become more organized as a person or to plan some important aspects of your life. For example, it can be used for book summaries, travel plans, setting new goals, creating fitness plans, personal agendas, or even a list of movies you want to watch.
How to create a mind map
You can create a mind map from scratch or use mind map templates. If you choose the first option, get inspired by this tutorial which shows the step-by-step creation process.
When you create your map follow these simple tips to build a perfect one:
- Use simple words, such as keywords or short phrases, and avoid writing full sentences.
- Add images, videos, or icons – mind mapping is all about the visuals; use the maximum potential of the visual representations, and don’t limit yourself only to text.
- Use a central image when you start your map to stimulate your imagination and generate new ideas.
- Use different colors to highlight and differentiate different topics, categories, or subjects. It will be easier to remember the information.
- Differentiate each level of the diagram by writing it with a different font size (starting from the biggest size in the center and decreasing the size toward the edges.
Do I need to learn how to mind map before using Mindomo?
No — you will gain value and benefits from Mindomo simply by using it in a way that feels natural to you. It’s far more important to know what you want to achieve than to be an expert in any specific technique.
Many people create mind maps without a clear purpose, but if you’re focused on reaching a specific goal, your maps will guide you forward much more effectively.
If you plan to collaborate with others and share your maps, the only thing you’ll need to agree on is how to interpret the information within — distinguishing between ideas, decisions, actions, and priorities. Mindomo offers a rich set of visual tools that make this easy.
Get inspired by Mindomo’s Public Map Gallery
Take a moment to browse through our public map gallery. Try to guess what each author aimed to achieve with their map—it’s often not immediately obvious. You can learn a lot by analyzing other people’s maps, noticing what works well and what doesn’t.
Ask yourself: what would have made the map easier to understand? Be sure to include those elements in your own maps!