A visual thinking tool to organize and understand the complexities of a problem space
- Mind mapping can help generate ideas and develop concepts using the following steps:
- Identify a themed focus question to draw in the center.
- Label extensions with simple verb-noun pairs or noun clusters.
- Connect primary and secondary connections with lines to create meaning.
- Continue free associations until all relevant information is represented.
- Before declaring the map complete, reflect for a while.
- The map provides a nonlinear means of externalizing the information in our heads so that we can interpret, consolidate, communicate, store, and retrieve it.
- The map allows us to summarize and test assumptions, make and break connections, ...