Fundamentals

In this course you will learn …

the definition and history of mind maps

how to draw and read mind maps

the benefits of mind mapping

why mind maps work so well

who mind mapping is for

the most important uses of mind mapping

how to choose the right mind mapping format for your situation

how to develop your own mind mapping system

how to link your mind maps

Definition and History

A mind map is a type of spider diagram or concept map that consists of acentralized

subject and related topics or ideas branching off from it in all directions. From each

topic subtopics can again branch off, resulting in a radiant structure.

Though visual representations of information have been used for thousands of years, the

term “mind map” wasn’t around until the 1970s, when it was coined by the English

researcher Tony Buzan. Buzan developed the technique out of his own need for a way

to deal with the large amounts of information during his time at university. He looked

for new and more effective thinking, reading and memorizing techniques, studied

psychology and creative thinking, and looked at the notes of the greatest thinkers he

could find. Eventually, after first successes with his newly developed technique, he

started writing a series of books on the subject. The first edition of “The Mind Map

Book” appeared in 1995.

QUESTIONS

How is a mind map structured?

A mind map has a radiant structure, with topics arranged around a center

A mind map has a linear structure

A mind map has a four dimensional structure

A mind map grows from the bottom of a page towards the sky

Who coined the term “mind map”?

The term is hundreds of years old, nobody knows who coined it

The term was coined by lead researcher of the American Institute for Creative Thinking

The term was coined by the English researcher Tony Buzan

That’s not a real word

How to Draw and Read Mind Maps

Mind mapping is easy and intuitive, and although there are a lot of guidelines and tips

out there, all you really need to know to get started are a few basics:

1. You start off with a blank piece of paper, a clear board or an empty digital map

editor. In the center you write down whatever your mind map is about: the subject of

your brainstorming session, the title of your project, a keyword from that essay you’re

trying to write...

Circling your subject will make it more prominent, and by adding an image to it you can

make it more memorable.

2. Now you can start adding topics, also known as “nodes”, “keywords”, “ideas” or

“branches” to your map.

If you want them to be read in a certain order, start at about one o’clock and go

clockwise around the center - this is the direction mind maps are generally read.

Your first-level topics (the topics closest to the center) are basically main categories or

key ideas. Here are some examples:

Note that there are two distinct ways of adding topics: You can either write your topic

right onto the line that connects it with the center, or you can write your topic into a

new circle/bubble, which is then connected with the center through a line. If you want

to follow Tony Buzan’s guidelines, then the former version is for you. He also suggests

writing your first-level topics in colorful capital letters and drawing curvy lines, as your

brain supposedly gets more excited about these than straight lines. Buzan also advises

against circling your topics, since a circle can function as a kind of barrier, obstructing a

free flow of associations.

3. The next step is to add what we like to call child topics or child ideas to your first-

level topics. Simply draw another line from your first-level topic and write your child

topic on the line or into a circle at the end of it. These child topics should be a little less

prominent than your first-level topics to convey a clear sense of hierarchy. Every new

topic can again have its own child topics. There is no limit to the number of child topics

or hierarchical levels in a mind map.

Note: All topics that are on the same level are called sibling topics or sibling ideas.

Topics:

Should you use single keywords, phrases or whole sentences?

Generally, you should use whatever works best for you and is the most appropriate for

the situation. If you’re doing a brainstorming to get a flow of ideas going, single

keywords are a great way to spark associations and not waste any time jotting down

unnecessary words. Short phrases are a good way to go in most other cases, especially

when you’re not the only one who is supposed to understand the mind map. If you’re

using your map to present information to others, you could even consider using whole

sentences, though mind maps are generally not made for those kinds of long

explanations.

In MindMeister, you can simply add any longer explanations to the notes sections of

your topics. This way, the clear image of your map is preserved, but you can view the

additional information any time you want via mouseover.

How important are pictures, symbols and colors?

Again, it depends on what kind of map you are creating and what you are using it for.

Pictures, symbols and colors are all memory triggers. The more personal, special and

unique your map is, the more likely you are to remember it (and its contents), which is

why it’s not so important that your drawings are beautiful in the traditional sense, they

just have to be memorable. Besides that, pictures can carry a huge amount of

meaning and thus spark lots of associated ideas (remember the old saying, “A picture

is worth a 1000 words”). In the following map, we’ve used one simple picture as the

central image of our map and jotted down any associations it sparked in us. Take a look:

For the above mentioned reasons, including pictures can add a lot of value to your mind

map and you shouldn’t dispense with them just because you’re insecure about your

drawing skills.

Many mind mappers also like to use a different color for every main branch of their

mind map, which can result in a clearer distinction between the branches and thus in an

even better overview of the entire subject.

EXERCISE

Create your first mind map!

For this exercise, we will use the term “Life” as our subject. To get started, take a blank piece of

paper (preferably without lines) and put it in “landscape mode” in front of you. Alternatively,

you can

open a MindMeister mind map

to create your first map online. If you need help getting started, you can quickly fast forward

to Features.

1. Write the word “Life” in the center of your map.

2. Draw a thick line from the center towards the edge and note down the first idea or

topic. This could be something like “Family”, or “Goals”, or maybe “Relationships”.

Be sure not to make the line any longer than necessary - you will want to reserve

some space for child topics at the end!

3. Now you can choose: You can draw another line from the center to add a second

branch (=first-level topic), or you can expand your first branch by adding related

topics. If you want to expand “Relationships”, for example, you can add “Partner”,

“Children”, “Friends” and “Colleagues”. You can then expand upon each of those

topics even further.

4. You can add images or icons to your mind map to make it more memorable.

5. Keep adding new topics i.e. ideas until you run out of things to add.

When your map is finished, you can take a look at our sample mind map . Of course,

your mind map is bound to look very different, and that’s completely fine! The goal

here is merely to inspire you and help you improve your own map!

QUESTIONS

When you create a new mind map on a piece of

paper, a blackboard or in a map editor, where do

you start?

In the center

In the upper left corner

At the bottom

It doesn’t matter

What kind of hierarchical structure can be found

in a mind map?

There is no hierarchical structure in a mind map, all topics are equal

The key ideas or categories are the ones closest to the center

The key ideas or categories are the ones on the outskirts of the map

The hierarchical structure is completely up to me

The Benefits of Mind Mapping

Mind mapping helps you to focus. The subject of your map is always in the center and thus right in front of your eyes. This

helps you to stay on topic. Mind mapping lets you structure your thoughts.

No matter how complex an idea or how big a topic, a mind map brings order into the

chaos.

Mind mapping provides a great overview of a topic.

It enables you to see the bigger picture, make out connections and hierarchies.

Mind mapping enhances memory. It kicks your brain into action and improves your study efforts through the use of mental

triggers.

Mind mapping is efficient. It increases productivity and can help you save tremendous amounts of time.

Mind mapping is easy. Everyone from preschooler to CEO can do it.

Mind mapping enables a free flow of ideas. Because you mostly use single keywords, symbols and short phrases in mind maps, you

can jot down ideas a lot faster than usual, which results in an unobstructed flow of ideas.

Mind mapping is fun. In opposite to linear notes and texts, creating a mind map doesn’t actually feel like work.

QUESTIONS

What is NOT a benefit of mind mapping?

Mind mapping is efficient.

Mind mapping is fun.

Mind mapping helps you to run faster.

Mind mapping lets you structure your thoughts.

Why Mind Maps Work So Well

The graphical structure:

Mind maps display hierarchy and relationships between topics visually. Their two-

dimensional structure enables you to make out connections easily and never to lose

focus of the actual subject / goal / question, since it is located right in the middle of your

map.

The overview:

Mind maps allow you to view all the contents of a subject at a glance. That is because

mind maps, in opposite to linear texts, never stretch across multiple pages. A paper

mind map is always fitted onto one sheet of paper, a mind map drawn on a black board

is confined to the edges of the board, and a digital mind map is displayed on one single

worksheet. This means that you don’t have to jump back and forth between multiple

pages but can retain a clear picture of the contents at all times.

The Spartan wording:

While linear notes encourage you to almost blindly gather content, that is, to copy as

much of the information you read or hear as possible, mind maps almost force you to

actively think about what you note down and what can be left out. They foster a

reduced, almost “Spartan” writing style, where every word counts. You don’t clutter

your notes with unimportant information and save time while you write, read and study.

Colors and Icons:

Mind maps encourage you to make good use of colors and icons, both of which can help

you greatly in structuring your content. Color codes and icons can not only show you

even more detailed connections between and joint possession of topics, but also trigger

your memory and thus speed up the recall process.

The Pictures:

Pictures are a great way to add value to your mind maps and trigger your memory with

personalized drawings. Digital mind maps usually also allow you to support your

arguments with statistical diagrams, show screenshots, add photographs or any other

kind of image.

MindMeister allows you to add notes and files to your topics, which can be stored and

displayed inside the map. You can also link to articles, websites or other mind maps,

thus creating an interlinked map structure around a subject too big for one mind map.

QUESTIONS

Name a few reasons why mind maps work so

well!

Because they use pictures, colors and icons.

Because they offer a great overview.

Because they display hierarchy and relationships visually.

Because they directly relate to our innermost fears.

Who Mind Mapping Is for

Mind maps are so easy to draw that basically everyone can create them. Experience has

taught us that children from the age of 8 already benefit greatly from it and there is no

age limit on the other end. Some believe that even preschoolers can make use of this

tool by simply replacing all written parts with drawings.

But what if I am a linear thinker?

Some of us are so accustomed to processing information stored in a linear manner that

we’ve really become quite good at it. But that doesn’t necessarily make us linear

thinkers, at least not in an exclusive manner. Even if you feel comfortable with your old

thinking method, you can utilize other techniques to further improve your creativity,

memory and problem solving abilities.

Who benefits from mind mapping?

Creative people

People involved in planning & strategizing

People involved in organization

Project managers

Teams and team leaders

Teachers

Students

Children with ASD, dyslexia and other learning disabilities

and many more!

QUESTIONS

Who is mind mapping for?

Mind mapping is only for children

Mind mapping is only for visual thinkers

Pretty much everyone can benefit from mind mapping

Nobody benefits from mind mapping

The Most Important Mind Mapping Uses

Mind mapping is an extremely versatile technique that can be used for a number of

different tasks, in different fields and for different purposes. The following is a list of

the most common and important areas of use.

Brainstorming:

Because mind mapping encourages a free flow of ideas and sparks associations like no

other technique, it is the perfect tool for brainstormings. No matter if you’re looking for

ideas for your next blog post, are trying to think of the perfect title for your novel, or are

brainstorming the contents of an elaborate marketing promotion - mind mapping will set

your creativity free.

Summarizing:

A great use of mind maps is summarizing complex or long texts, such as essays,

textbooks and theses. You can take the notes while reading or right after you’re finished

with a chapter. The mind map encourages you to break the information down into

smaller, more manageable chunks and capture the key concepts of the topic, which

makes it perfect for later revisions of the material.

Planning & Strategizing:

Mind maps can be used to plan anything from weddings and exhibitions to business

concepts and PR strategies. They are perfect to collect all your ideas, to-dos and even

resources in one place, to arrange things in a clear and logical way and function as a

perfect visual aid when presenting your plan to others.

Problem solving:

In our modern society, employers and teachers alike stress the importance of problem

solving abilities in their employees and students. It is not so much the comprehensive

knowledge of a subject that is on demand, but the ability to think logically, make the

right connections and find creative solutions to a problem. Mind maps offer the ideal

format to do just that.

Note taking:

Whether you’re in a meeting or a lecture hall, taking notes in the form of a mind map is

not only more efficient while you’re writing, you will also find it easier to quickly go

back to your map and refresh your memory later on. Instead of having to go through

page after page of monotonic text, of which 60 to 90%* is, on average, completely

omissible, you can see the truly important information in your mind map at a glance.

Memorizing:

Mind maps can help you memorize all kinds of information and data, from vocabulary

of a second language to complex physical concepts. In his book “The Mind Map Book”,

Tony Buzan explains why mind maps are so great for memorization: “Mind maps

utilize all our cortical skills and activate the brain on all levels, making it more alert and

skillful at remembering. The attractiveness of mind maps makes the brain want to return

to them, and again encourages the probability of spontaneous recall.”

Presentations:

During a speech, an oral report or a presentation, visual aids are key to help the

audience follow the speaker’s thought process and further explain complex topics. A

simple but very effective visual aid is a mind map, which can be projected onto a screen

as a whole or drawn from scratch during the speech to underline key points and

illustrate connections and concepts.

Collecting and structuring information:

Mind maps are probably most famous for their ability to “structure thoughts” and help

the mapper to focus on the subject at hand. But mind maps also offer a great format for

collecting and structuring any other kind of information, be it the contents of a scientific

article or your favorite dessert recipes. With solutions such as MindMeister, it is easy to

add links to websites, notes and even files to your maps, making them the perfect

resource compilations or knowledge banks.

Collaboration:

Mind maps are a great platform for team members to brainstorm together and get

productive discussions going. Everyone can easily add their own ideas, which in turn

can spark new ideas in others. The results of the collaboration process can then be

structured, tasks can be assigned and deadlines added.

Decision making:

In order to make an informed decision, you need to know the facts, understand the

connections, see advantages, disadvantages and possible consequences of your actions.

A mind map is the ideal platform to collect all those things in one place and provide you

with a clear overview of the pros and cons.

EXERCISE

Use a mind map to brainstorm!

Brainstorming is one of the most important uses of mind mapping, which is why your

second mind map should be one too. Here are a few different topics you can choose

from:

“Our office”: On the left side of your mind map, note down issues and things that could

use improvement (bad communication, no plants, never enough milk for coffee…). On the

right side, note down anything you can think of that might improve your workplace (a

foosball table, more plants, regular team meetings…).

“What I do”: Note down all your responsibilities as a professional.

“My perfect life”: What does a perfect life look like to you? Create a topic for “living”

where you note down where you’d like to live, what type of house you’d want, what your

garden would look like and so on. Create a topic for “family”, one for “work” (if that is

actually a part of your idea of a perfect life), one for “free time” and so on.

Underneath we have prepared sample mind maps for each topic. Take a look!

Our office

What I do

My perfect life

How to Choose the Right Mind Mapping Format

There are basically three different mind mapping formats. You can choose

between paper mapping, digital mapping and online mapping. While online mapping

is actually just a variant of digital mapping, it offers a number of features and

advantages that distinguish it from conventional digital mapping. That is why we’ve

decided to treat it as a distinct format in this case.

Of course, you don’t actually have to settle for one format. Just because you choose to

work with a digital solution doesn’t mean you can’t also draw paper mind maps when

you’re not in front of your computer. The system is always the same and once you’ve

come to appreciate its value, you’ll probably make use of it in all kinds of different

situations. However, finding the right format for you and your individual needs and

preferences is still important. Once you’ve found the right one, you can create a system

based on it and that again will ensure a smooth overall workflow, help you to save time

and increase your productivity.

Underneath we’ve prepared a mind map to give you a quick overview of the pros and

cons of each option:

QUESTIONS

What are the benefits of online mind mapping?

Multiple people can work on a map at the same time

Online mind mapping is suited for both humans and animals

Mind maps can easily be shared and published on the web

Mind maps can be accessed from different devices

How to Develop Your Own System

A “mind mapping system” is the way you use, add and apply colors, icons,

connections and such. Now, you won’t need a cleverly devised mind mapping system

for the occasional brainstorming or to-do list, but when you work with mind maps on a

regular basis, and especially if you use them for work or studying purposes, such a

system can help you save tremendous amounts of time. Instead of reinventing the wheel

every time you create a new map, you can resort to a time-tested set of icons and color

codes that help you create and read your maps a lot faster and add meaning to them. So

let’s get started:

Color codes

Judo belts, hospitals and traffic lights have one thing in common: They all use color

codes to quickly rely certain kinds of information to people. In a hospital, a “Code

Blue” is universally understood as cardiac arrest; a black belt in martial arts signifies

great competence of the practitioner; a red light in traffic means stop. And while there is

no “one true color code” that’s applicable to every system, there are most certainly at

least a few colors that carry connotations for each one of us. The trick is to find and use

the ones that feel the most natural to you.

Don’t forget that there are different parts of your map that can be color coded: the lines,

the connections, the keywords, the circles around the keywords, their backgrounds, and

so on. Here is an example for a color code that could be used in project planning:

Grey keywords

“Idea not yet approved”

Orange keywords

“Need more information”

Red background

“Problematic”

Blue border

Time related information

Icons

Just like colors, icons are able to carry meanings and messages that can reduce your

writing efforts greatly. Instead of adding notes to your topics that explain their status or

their affiliation to a certain group, you can just appoint icons for those meanings and

then use those icons in all your maps. After the first two or three maps you will know

them by heart and whenever you will see an icon in one of your maps, you will

recognize its meaning instantly. Here are a few examples of icons you could use in

project planning:

That’s a go-ahead

Done

Work in progress

Another advantage of using icons is the filter view: MindMeister lets you not only

search your maps for keywords, but also filter them for icons (among other things).

Imagine having a big project mapped out and looking for a way to quickly show all

unfinished tasks. All you have to do is filter for the icon you have assigned for this case

(a yellow flag, a red led or one of our task symbols) and MindMeister will highlight all

topics marked with the icon.

EXERCISE

Choose or create 5 icons for everyday use

You might have to create a few sample mind maps in order to find out which icons you

will need the most. Once you know what kind of icons you need, you can start to sketch

a few different versions of each one before settling for the most memorable

one. Example: If you’re mind mapping mainly for studying purposes, you could need

icons like the following: “Important for the exam!” …

“Definition” …

“This should be memorized word for word” …

“Additional information (not important for exam)” …

“See textbook for detailed information” ...

How to link your mind maps

As we’ve said before, one reason why mind maps work so well is because they are

limited to one single sheet of paper and thus give you a great overview of a topic. But

what happens if you run out of space?

Many people actually scare away from using mind maps because they don’t know what

to do once their sheet of paper is full and they still have information to add. Should you

somehow expand the space by attaching additional sheets on all sides? Or do you keep

going on a new page? But then, what happens to your great overview?

A good way to solve this problem is by linking your maps: Instead of trying to

squeeze all the important information on one sheet of paper, use the hierarchical

structure of your map and only add the highest 3-4 topic levels to your map. This map

will function as your “main map” or “index map”. Create a new map on a new sheet

for every 4th level topic, turning this topic into the center. Now you can add all your 5,

6, 7, and 8 level topics around the center. With color codes or symbols you can easily

link the sub maps to their respective topics on the index map.

With MindMeister you can create actual, clickable links between your maps and easily

jump back and forth between them.

QUESTIONS

What should you do when your mind map is

getting too big and you’re running out of space?

There’s nothing I can do

I should try to squeeze all information onto one page, even if it’s too small to read properly

I should create an index map and link it with as many sub maps as I need

I should just keep going on a new page

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