How to brainstorm with a mindmap

Have you started a project and had so many ideas swimming around that it was hard to communicate it all to others?  Have you forgotten parts of a project because it wasn’t written out or collected well?   When reading books or any other time you take notes, have you wanted to connect your thoughts visually?  Consider mindmapping.

Mindmapping is a great way to brainstorm, then organize all the details involved in a project.  Before beginning a project, you’ll first need to collect the ideas you have and put them into a logical organization.  Being able to see these ideas laid out can help you initially brainstorm, then share with others how various things are related.

What you’ll need to start:

• Electronic method: See my list of Mindmapping software/website
• Tactile method:
  • Something to write on (paper, markerboard, posterboard)
  • Something to write with (markers, crayons, colored pencils)

Determine what you are brainstorming about

You might be brainstorming about a project you are starting, or notes about your favorite books.  Write a short title or put a picture of the idea in the middle of your mapping region.

Getting Started

See also Drawing a MindMap from Start to Finish for more ideas like these:

1. Start in the center of a landscape sheet of blank paper.

2. Use a picture for your central idea.

3. Use colors throughout.

4. Connect your main branches to the central image and connect your second-level branches to the first and so on.

5. Make your branches curved rather than straight-lined, the central lines being thicker, organic and flowing, becoming thinner as they radiate from the center.

6. Use one keyword per line.

7. Use images throughout.

8. Develop your own personal style of mind maps.

9. Use emphasis and show associations in your mindmap.

10. Keep the mind map clear by using radiant hierarchy, numerical order or outlines to embrace your branches.

Additional Resources

How To Mindmap: A Beginner’s Guide

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8_H42Z9wxA&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Example Mindmaps:

Thumbnail by Tanje De Bie