Mind Maps are now more than 25 years old.  They were introduced in early 1974 with the publication of Use Your Head, the direct precursor of the later publication, The Mind Map Book. A lot of people think Mind Mapping is the same as brainstorming. While it can be used in the same way as a brainstorm in some basic ways, especially when a group of people is involved, its uses are more wide-ranging and it is a very useful personal tool.

I have to admit to being a great fan of Mind Mapping!

Some Background

The Mind Map was originated by Tony Buzan and, over the yeaars, has been developed into Radiant Thinking.   It is estimated that world-wide there are now well over 100 million MindMappers.   (Source: The MindMap Book)

Two extremely useful works on MindMapping, one written by Buzan and one by his close associate, are The MindMap Book, a how-to book, and Mind Mapping, an audio cassette set.

Although we often talk loosely about mindmapping, MIND MAP is a registered trade mark of the Buzan Organisation.  (All trademarks and copyright acknowledged here.)

THE MINDMAP BOOK		MIND MAPPING CASSETE SET
The MindMap Book By Tony Buzan with Barry Buzan BBC Books Hardback ISBN 0 563 36373 8 Paperback ISBN 0 563 37101 3		Mind Mapping Michael Gelb Simon and Schuster Audio Two-cassette set ISBN 0 671 00559 6

What is MindMapping?

To most people, MindMapping is a development on brainstorming combined with getting that little bit more performance from your mind.

Every mind map begins with a central word or concept, around the central word you note the key ideas that relate to the central concept - these are child words.

You then deal with each child word, drawing the ideas that relate to each of them.

Quite quickly, an exponential number of related ideas are produced with what seems to be no real mental effort. But generating a rich collection of ideas is just the start.

What's a MindMap for?

I began using MindMaps as a cure for writer's block, having been introduced to it on a course. Tony Buzan, its originator, began by looking at note taking and retention of facts, ideas and abstract concepts.  Both note taking and retention are demonstrably improved by MindMapping, but it also supports study and revision, group study, preparation for a presentation as well as problem solving - either individually or in groups - and brainstorming/think tank sessions.

You can also find out more about MindMapping and software to help you MindMap by following the link in the section More About MindMaps at the bottom of this page.

Note taking

The MindMap has several distinct advantages over conventional note-taking methods.  It works very well for those who can make it work!

• Every new idea is in the right place, regardless of the order in which they occur
• Every key concept is reduced to a single word
• Every mind map can be seen - The eye takes in the MindMap and your visual memory - which is claimed to be almost perfect - remembers it

Document preparation and writing

MindMaps allow you to quickly produce an almost infinite number of ideas.  At the same time you can organise your ideas by placing each one close to something it's related to.

This format and the ideas it allows you to generate makes it a very powerful tool for report writing - or creative writing, if necessary! - or preparing a document which combines third-party material into a coherent package, where you'll probably need to get all your ideas down before you start importing material.

Studying and revision

Simply reading a text - or even an entire book - on a given topic doesn't guarantee you'll learn much about it:   Try using a mind map while you read.

• Decide what it is you're studying and write the central word
• Begin reading
• Every time you read something that strikes you as important or interesting, locate an appropriate place and add it to your mind map

When you have finished reading  you'll have a single-page summary of the piece.   Everything of interest in that article or book will be included on the MindMap

As an added bonus, you'll probably have added many of your own ideas which occurred to you during your reading. As a further benefit, simply creating and adding to the MindMap will have increased what you absorbed from the piece.

Keeping the MindMap means that if you ever want to review the topic all you have to do is to look at the MindMap again.  Making the learning rock solid is straightforward, too.  Try redrawing the MindMap from memory a few times.   You'll probably find it a lot easier than you think it will be!.

Group study

A group of people can study together using a single mind map by following these rules

• Begin by producing individual MindMaps on a single central concept
• Use the individual MindMaps as prompts to create a group MindMap
• Produce a group MindMap of What We Need to Learn
• Individuals (or small groups - two or three people, perhaps) study the material and generate MindMaps of the information necessary to fulfil What We Need to Learn
• As a group, create a final, single MindMap

Problem Solving

Using a structured problem solving method, a group of people can rapidly determine the best consensus solution to problems. A MindMap is an excellent - often unbeatable - enabler.

Begin by creating individual MindMaps which answer

• What is the problem?
• What solutions can I think of?

Don't go for Which Solutions are Possible? or Which Solutions are Cleverest? When it comes to ideas: If you can think of it then include it.

Then combine the MindMaps into a group charter, following the steps of the problem-solving method.

Brainstorming and the Think Tank

This is probably the area with which most people associate Mind Mapping.

Every creative session should begin with a short period during which its participants gather their individual ideas - Make their marks in the sand before the crowds of opinion and bias arrive.

As soon as someone expresses on opinion or you write something up on a flipchart you begin to stifle the creativity which everyone brought to the meeting. Every time you hold a creative meeting you should always try to start people off by spending a few minutes individually MindMapping.

During the session a master mind map on a flipchart or, much better, brown paper - allows every idea and fact to be recorded in the appropriate place: It can then be discussed at the appropriate time.

A further benefit of using this technique, logging every idea, is that no-one feels left out or ignored because evryone's ideas are part of the mind map.

Preparation

If you have to give a talk, preparing notes as a single mind map has several advantages over other memory aids

• Convenient to handle

  Only a single page is needed

• Don't need to be an actor

  As ideas are reduced to single words you won't sound as though you're reading your script

• Accessible

  When someone asks a question you can move instantly to the place on your MindMap relating to the question

  After a distraction you can immediately return to where you were without drowning in a sheaf of papers  or a great pile of cards

More about MindMaps

As well as the book and tape-set mentioned above, most libraries have a number of books on MindMapping and similar techniques.  More information on the MindMap, Radiant Thinking, Mental Literacy and other subjects - as well as background information - can be found on the Buzan Organisation web site, www.mind-map.com

Software

There is also some excellent (and cheap!) software if you're into screen-based mind mapping or you need to distribute your maps electronically. When I first wrote this article I mentioned Mind Manager Smart as being an easy to use application, including options to export graphics for web use or even to export maps as web-ready HTML pages. There are now a number of applications available and some of these are now reviewed on the software for MindMappers page.