A mind map is a graphical way to represent ideas and concepts. It is a visual thinking tool that helps structuring information, helping you to better analyze, comprehend, synthesize, recall and generate new ideas.
Just as in every great idea, its power lies in its simplicity.
In a mind map, as opposed to traditional note taking or a linear text, information is structured in a way that resembles much more closely how your brain actually works. Since it is an activity that is both analytical and artistic, it engages your brain in a much, much richer way, helping in all its cognitive functions. And, best of all, it is fun!
So, how does a mind map look like? Better than explaining is showing you an example.
This is a mind map about – conveniently enough – mind mapping itself. It presents, in a visual way, the core elements and techniques on how to draw mind maps. Yes, I know this may look a little too messy initially, but bear with me: once you break the ingrained habit of linear note taking, you won’t look back.Benefits and Uses
I think I already gave away the benefits of mind mapping and why mind maps work. Basically, mind mapping avoids dull, linear thinking, jogging your creativity and making note taking fun again.
But what can we use mind maps for?
- Note taking
- Brainstorming (individually or in groups)
- Problem solving
- Studying and memorization
- Planning
- Researching and consolidating information from multiple sources
- Presenting information
- Gaining insight on complex subjects
- Jogging your creativity
It is hard to make justice to the number of uses mind maps can have – the truth is that they can help clarify your thinking in pretty much anything, in many different contexts: personal, family, educational or business. Planning you day or planning your life, summarizing a book, launching a project, planning and creating presentations, writing blog posts -well, you get the idea – anything, really.
How to Draw a Mind Map
Drawing a mind map is as simple as 1-2-3:
- Start in the middle of a blank page, writing or drawing the idea you intend to develop. I would suggest that you use the page in landscape orientation.
- Develop the related subtopics around this central topic, connecting each of them to the center with a line.
- Repeat the same process for the subtopics, generating lower-level subtopics as you see fit, connecting each of those to the corresponding subtopic.
Some more recommendations:
- Use colors, drawings and symbols copiously. Be as visual as you can, and your brain will thank you. I’ve met many people who don’t even try, with the excuse they’re "not artists". Don’t let that keep you from trying it out!.
- Keep the topics labels as short as possible, keeping them to a single word – or, better yet, to only a picture. Especially in your first mind maps, the temptation to write a complete phrase is enormous, but always look for opportunities to shorten it to a single word or figure – your mind map will be much more effective that way.
- Vary text size, color and alignment. Vary the thickness and length of the lines. Provide as many visual cues as you can to emphasize important points. Every little bit helps engaging your brain.
http://litemind.com/what-is-mind-mapping/
Types of Mind Maps
Problem-Solving Maps
- A mind map is a useful tool to use during team brainstorming sessions when the goal is to generate ideas rapidly, without immediate logical review. Displaying the mind map continuously during the session allows team members to see the ideas generated, which stimulates more ideas. This process creates positive momentum for problem solving.A problem-solving brainstorming session starts with the guide or leader recording the problem in a phrase or small picture at the center of what will become the mind map. As team members participate with comments, the recorder draws colored spokes radiating from the core issue. Each spoke represents a different aspect of the issue and is labeled with a phrase or picture. As the session continues, the comments of team members result in the addition of smaller lines flowing from the spokes and of arrows illustrating connections between items on different spokes.Problem-solving mind maps are often used during just the single brainstorming session. Team members shout out their ideas, structure the map, set priorities and create action items. After the mind map facilitates this process, it is no longer needed. The life spans of problem-solving mind maps are often only few hours.
Project Maps
- Planning an event, planning a product launch, developing the strategy to close a large sale, and other activities can produce project mind maps. Updated periodically to reflect changes in project status, they live only until project completion. The life spans of project mind maps are normally just a few days or weeks.
Knowledge Maps
- Knowledge mind maps contain information recorded once and kept for later use, sometimes replacing existing documents. Some are fine tuned and updated over time, while others are never updated. Mind maps describing company processes, sometimes including checklists, are examples of knowledge mind maps. Used multiple times over a long period, knowledge mind maps are important in preserving corporate history, the never-recorded knowledge existing only inside the heads of employees. Knowledge mind maps can be particularly helpful for new employees in discovering past processes for conducting recurring activities. The life spans of knowledge mind maps can be years.
Examples of Mind Map
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OUR POINT OF VIEW
for me, mind mapping is one of the easiest way to remember and understand the data.. it is also good to gain ideas to create something new.. something that we never thought that it can be related to.. besides, it does help much in our imagination and increase the creativity.. and most importantly is to stay out of stereotype..
by::
Athirah Azhar
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As for my opinion, mind mapping is another effective way for students to study in a fun way! Sometimes we need to have some of our artistic ability out rather than our logic thinking always. i had always been interested in different ways of organizing thoughts and brainstorming, and mind mapping is just what i need. It is also a very good way for us to understand and remember all the information, rather than carrying a big book with only writings, students can get bored looking at the same writings and also they might forget everything that they have studied
by::
Christine
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