There is a set of ten guidelines that you can use to organize your thinking via mind maps. We’ve introduced mind maps here at Thoughtwrestling in previous posts. Now we’re going to share some of the best mind mapping tips with you, tips that came from the inventor of mind mapping.
Who invented mind maps?
Tony Buzan is widely credited with coining the term mind map. Mind maps are a means of organizing information visually, showing how big ideas are made of big pieces, which in turn are composed of smaller pieces. The famous inventor and artist Leonardo daVinci created diagrams similar to mind maps hundreds of years ago as a means of organizing information.
Buzan has defined ten guidelines for effective mind mapping, which we’re reviewing for your benefit.
Start in the center with an image of the topic, using at least 3 colors.
The center is the key because, as you will see, the ideas documented in a mind map radiate from the center of diagram, similar the branches or root system of a tree. The colors are important because they provide an extra dimension of information to help your brain interpret the data more effectively.
Use images, symbols, codes, and dimensions throughout your Mind Map.
Words are important, but pictures make it easier and faster to communicate information visually. Similarly, symbols, codes and dimensions provide a mental shorthand to speed up the communication process. Of course, these different symbols, code and dimensions should be simple enough that a wide variety of people can easily interpret what’s in the mind map.
Select key words and print using upper or lower case letters.
Key words work well with images to convey information, similar to the way slides work in presentations. Printing makes them legible.
Each word/image is best alone and sitting on its own line.
This is to make the mind map easy to interpret. Too many uncoordinated lines makes for a confusing mind map.
The lines should be connected, starting from the central image. The central lines are thicker, organic and flowing, becoming thinner as they radiate out from the centre.
The idea here is to give the reader a visual guide as to the level of detail they’re at within a mind map. Obviously, if you follow the lines through the map, you’ll see how everything is connected. Varying thicknesses will make the mind map look like a system of branches or roots.
Make the lines the same length as the word/image they support.
Again, readability is the key.
Use multiple colors throughout the Mind Map, for visual stimulation and also to encode or group.
Much like bus routes and subway maps use color to distinguish between routes, use of color in a mind map will make it easier to follow the information.
Develop your own personal style of Mind Mapping.
Personal style allows you to create mind maps more efficiently and effectively.
Use emphasis and show associations in your Mind Map.
This allows you to focus attention on key topics in the mind map.
Keep the Mind Map clear by using radial hierarchy, numerical order or outlines to embrace your branches.
What do these things mean? Numerical order and outlines are pretty straight forward, but what is radial hierarchy? Put simply, radial hierarchy is information organized by most important information in the center and more detailed information situated farther and farther away from the diagram’s center.
Hopefully these ten guidelines are helpful.
You can find our own step by step example of making a mind map here.
Additional resources: Buzan’s mind map guidelines in practical use
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I use mind mapping for almost everything. Colors and pictures are a powerful way to stimulate your brain’s creativity. Seeing your ideas in colors can increase your problem solving skills, leading to more innovative solutions. Use colors and shapes to separate ideas where it’s necessary, this also make easier to remember your Mind Map.
Thanks Nina. These are all great points to consider.
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How is it more beneficial than a flow chart? please explain.
Flow chart seems very good to envision a process in its entirety exactly as the process lock from beginnings, inputs, troughs, ends, outputs. A flow chart is really a single map or illustration of a single process (simple or complex).
A mind map is not an illustration of a process, but a visually appealing arrangement of ideas related to a center idea the map is all about. Such central idea is not limited to a process, it can be anything that you need to focus on, from a very particular and personal and even trivial thing (such a list of thing needed to go out at week end)to a concept you are thinking about (such as “language”.
Took “language” (in this case human speaking language). You have no flow chart, and a flow chart is something closed, a finished product illustrating something. You need a too to thing about language and derive many things. Then you put your central and colored image with the legend “Language” (For example a funny face with open mouth and the word Language in the mid of the open mouth). Then, having in mind your subject, helped by the central image before you, you thing about a relevant thing about language. For example, who use language. From the center image start a branch with the word “USED”. The answer will come. “PEOPLE”. From the branch USED you start another branch with the word “PEOPLE”. Do some funny and colored drawings above the words to represent people. You are now engaged and imaginative, and like to see what more you can start from the PEOPLE branch, you realize that such people using language may be speaking or earing, then you start to branch, the SPEAKER branch, and the HEARER branch. You ad an very open mouth guy at SPEAKER and a guy with a great hear at HEARER.
And so on for many branch and sub branch. The result is a very visually appealing presentation of your thinking about language, very nice to commend to memory, with big picture effect that allows you to see all things from above like an eagle, seeing all the interconnections you like in a more instantaneous manner that if you need to do in a linear search. And when time have passed, you can see your map again facilitating greatly the reposition in your mind in a more pleasant and expeditious manner.
Hi Mark.
You have a concise yet very clear explanation. These are very good pointers.
Thank you.
Hi Mark,
Great to read these guidelines. I like the “develop your own style” one the most.
To benefit the most from mind mapping, you should first create a couple of maps using the guidelines and then develop your own style. I believe we all use some sort of visual mapping already. The mind map is just one of many formats.
As a tip for your readers, I would like to add that you should not focus too much on colors and images when you are ‘just’ creating clarity and overview in your information. While images and colors are great for remembering information, you should not spend too much time on the creation part of the map. Focus on USING the map, this is where the real benefit lies.
For me, I spend less and less time on making mindmaps. I just outline my thoughts (usually in a single color) and then start to use the map to work towards my goal.
Hope your readers will USE their maps as well, and not get lost in creating the perfect mind map.
Arjen ter Hoeve recently posted..Your Mind Map For Management Tasks
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