Marketing Communications

Communicate with a Mind Map

John Bradley "JJ" Jackson

13 Mar 2009 • 1 min read

People learn, read, and communicate in many ways. Some people need or prefer more spatially effective communication with both words and images. In that case, consider a mind map.

A mind map is a visual outline. It has a central core or box at the highest level, uses topics as bullets below it, and can include sub-topics as a subtext for each bullet. A common use of a mind map is for a meeting where many ideas or possibilities are being generated. Call it a map or diagram---a mind map is more than a just a list of words.

Mind maps are effective because:

they are easier to read than lists or plain text
the images can go in any direction
a mind map can stimulate out-of-box thinking
spatial images are said to aid recall of existing memories
brainstorming is more effective
they display what people consider as options or paths

Similar to a mind map is a process map, which has a more hierarchical approach. Process maps display the relationship between concepts. For example, a decision tree is a form of a process map. In comparison, mind maps are more free form and less encumbered by rules.

Mind maps are more art than science—the goal is to communicate.

For more on mind mapping, what this YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlabrWv25qQ