Mind Maps

A mind map is a drawing that includes words, themes, other pictures, and ideas that relate back to a central topic. Usually these pieces of information are arranged around the central topic. Mind mapping is a very important part of the brainstorming process. It encourages the mind mapper to express all of their ideas about a given topic and there is no right or wrong answer. Mind maps are a more visual and creative form of brainstorming. The idea came from British psychologist Tony Buzan who believed that it was the brain's natural tendency to scan the entire page rather than read from left to right.

Making a Mind Map
A mind map starts with one main idea or topic in the middle of the page and the ideas are arranged around it. It is best to use single words or short phrases when making a mind map so you can easily see the direction your ideas are going in. Each word associated with the main topic will have words surrounding it as well that relate to that word and also back to the original word.

Each branch off the original idea should have its own color to keep your ideas organized. A variety of colors should be used in the mind map to make distinctions among ideas. Thicker lines should be drawn from the main idea to the supporting ideas and the lines should become thinner as you add more words to the supporting ideas. Everyone has their own style of mind mapping but it is vital to keep ideas organized while brainstorming. (Learn)

Mind mapping can be very formal (a businessman using advanced software for a presentation), or it can be very informal (a student jotting down notes in a notebook). There are even websites, such as mindmeister.com, that allow mind mappers to create digital mind maps that others can collaborate on.

Mind mapping is crucial to the creative process and therefore there should be no editing of ideas in the mind map. Mind mapping should be a free-flowing experience so the mind mapper can see all of the information associated with his main idea. (Theory)

Uses for Mind Maps
Mind maps are useful in many academic settings. They are helpful in taking notes, studying, brainstorming, and organizing information effectively. They provide a way to focus a student's attention during lectures and they provide a way to condense important information during note taking. Mind maps are important for group work as they help to merge ideas into a concept that is developed by multiple people. During a group brainstorming session all members of the group have the opportunity to contribute their ideas using a mind map.

Non-academic uses for mind maps include problem-solving, personal organization, and workplace presentations. A mind map can help someone work through all possible solutions to a problem and help them organize to-do lists and manage their tasks. Mind maps are also affective in in the workplace as they provide people with a visual explanation of how someone arrived at a particular idea. They literally map out someone's thought process.