Mind Mapping

Learn what a mind map is and how to begin mind mapping

Mind mapping is an excellent way to study, brainstorm, and learn. It's also a great way to prepare for presentations and papers. The act of mind mapping makes it easier to see the big picture which makes writing papers and presentations is a lot more simple. This makes mind mapping a powerful alternative to sequential writing and note-taking.

This page will give you the basics about Mind Mapping. We hope it spurs thoughts that can help you to make the most of your mind mapping efforts.

What is Mind Mapping?

A mind map is a non-linear outline used to visually make sense of information and ideas. You may also hear them referred to as Concept Maps, Spray Diagrams, and Spider Diagrams. Their purpose is to work out thoughts or ideas with expanding related connections.

A mind map shows related connections among the various parts of the concept you are mapping. It works best when you place what comes to mind using associations that make sense to you.

One useful analogy for a Mind Map is comparing it with a sea and its tributary rivers and streams. The sea represents the central idea. Everything else is contributing to it. The big rivers are the main ideas that support the central idea. The smaller rivers and streams that feed the big rivers are the secondary ideas. This can continue as far as you want to take it. All the rivers and streams have names and are associated with the sea they feed into. Likewise, all branches in a mind map feed into the central idea.

Mind Maps begin with a central idea, called a root. That root can be text or a picture, to which other related ideas connect. These ideas continue branching out until all the important facets of a topic are covered. Mind maps can be drawn by hand on paper, but drawings can be difficult to edit and space often becomes an issue. App-based mind maps overcome these limitations and are the focus of this post.

The anatomy of a basic Mind Map is simple and consists of:

1. A root node representing the central idea (or concept).

2. Main ideas, often represented as nodes that directly connect to the root.

3. Secondary supporting ideas that branch from the main idea nodes.

Nodes in the mind map can feature images and colors to make them more memorable.

Software mind maps further enhance the basic mind map. Common features in most mind mapping software packages include:

• Easy editing

• Support for long-form text within a node

• Branch folding and unfolding (expanding and collapsing branches)

• Jump links

• Visual arrow links across branches

• Hyperlinks

• Sharing features

Mind Mapping 3D and Mind Map AR support the common software features. In addition, they support 3D mind map structures.

Mind Map AR takes this a step further with Augmented Reality.

The Mind Mapping 3D and Mind Map AR apps are designed to take all the benefits of mind mapping to the next level. These apps let you build mind maps out in 3D which results in virtually unlimited space for your ideas. You can freely interconnect, build, and then export the mind map's content to a structured outline in the Microsoft Word (.docx) format. Or you can export images for use in presentations and web pages. You can also include links to in-depth articles, videos, and attachments.

The great thing about mind mapping, especially software mind mapping, is the flexibility. You can put your ideas down in any order, as soon as they come to mind. You are not constrained by thinking in any particular sequence. Instead, you can focus on the big picture of how all the concepts are related.

Mind Mapping is a valuable visual learning tool. It encourages you to understand the interrelated structure of concepts because it’s easy to see how all the information fits together. A mind map also enhances the impact and memorability of your notes. Mind Maps help you remember information in a visual way that is quick to review and easy to recall.