Process - Top Tips - Mind mapping

Mind mapping

This document is designed as a quick reference guide to problem analysis.

This will enable you to gain knowledge of a particular skill, task or process.

This means you can quickly find the key information that you need and refer to it on an ongoing basis whenever you need to refresh your knowledge.

Introduction

Some people find listing ideas or courses of action in a conventional list too restrictive; mind mapping aims to overcome this. Mind mapping can improve the way in which you take notes, pulling lots of information together and supports creative problem solving.

There are a number of situations when you may find mind maps useful:

● Summarising information

● Gathering information together from a range of sources

● Problem solving

● Presenting information to others

Process - Top Tips - Mind mapping

Mind mapping

What you need to know…

Creating a Mind Map

In the middle of a large sheet of paper write the central issue. Around this write other thoughts, causes, effects, or related issues that come to mind, and connect these by arrows. In turn link these to each other and further thoughts with more arrows and so on. Use colours or shapes if it helps. A sample is shown below.

As you become experienced at using mind maps you may develop your own way of creating them that works well for you.

The following tips may help when you are using mind maps:

● Use single words or strong phrases. Long sentences make the mind map difficult work with

● Colour code your ideas to distinguish each thought process or ideas that link to one another

● Use images as well as words if this works for you

● Draw lines between parts of the mind map that link together even if they came from separate thought processes