Imagine this scenario: you’re in a meeting or a lecture, listening to a presentation. The speaker is a very likeable person whom you would love to have a casual conversation with over coffee and a scone, but you must admit that you are struggling to keep up with their teaching style.
Up, down, sideways — they lead you on a merry chase in which you lose all sense of your bearings and have no clue which direction you are facing. In this maze of indecipherable, seemingly unrelated information, you are like a detective without a magnifying glass or an artist without a muse. You have no idea what to write down in your notebook or where to even begin.
When you’re feeling this lost, isn’t a map the perfect solution?
Consider the same scenario, but this time you’re prepared for the teacher’s enthusiastic but disorganized monologue. Instead of trying to pull the logical sequence out of the rippling spider web of ideas, your new approach is to map out all of the concepts and their associations that the speaker touches on as they bounce around like a gleeful dodge ball.
When you walk out of the session, you look down at your notebook and see a clean, neat, graphical representation of the main topic and its points all splayed out on your page in a complex yet simple visual.
This technique is called the mind mapping method, and in this blog post, we’re going to make a case for why this style should be your new best friend and most reliable companion in your note-taking journey to greater productivity and, ultimately, success.
What is a Mind Map?
The use of diagrams goes back millennia, with the first noted example coming from the third century, when Porphyry of Tyros graphically visualized the Categories of Aristotle. And indeed, Aristotle himself said that “the soul never thinks without a mental image.”
Mind mapping is a method that provides the soul with an image of whatever topic or concept the note-taker is learning, and it has been proven to be very effective in boosting the learner’s comprehension and retention of material, along with a whole host of other benefits. Don’t worry, we’re going to go into these benefits and advantages in much greater detail later on in this post.
What can you use mind maps for? Well, you can use them individually or as a group. As for specific applications, mind maps will help you conquer any of the following with ease:
- Taking notes
- Summarizing important information
- Consolidating information
- Thinking through complex problems or information
- Presenting information clearly
- Studying and retaining information
There are a number of ways and different processes that creating a mind map can manifest, but they all involve spreadsheeting data in some manner of visual representation, and they all emphasize connections and associations within a topic or concept. Let’s take a look at a handful of the most common ones.
The Buzan Mind Map
Despite the informal use of mind maps in the twentieth century, it wasn’t until Tony Buzan coined the term “mind map” that it was fully brought into the mainstream consciousness. Buzan’s mind map, also known as the Burzam Method, is likely the most common.
It begins with a central image or heading, typically aligned with the main topic, main idea itself, or key concept. Then, add branches representing more ideas or text. Each branch should have a single keyword and be color coded to indicate its order and hierarchy, such as using blue for bigger ideas and green for smaller supporting details. These branches are called “curvilinear branches” or basic ordering ideas (BOIs).
Buzan built this method on principles he derived from neuroscience and psychology, but he also used his own learning experiences to determine which elements are necessary for effective note-taking. Many purists argue that his method is the true mind mapping technique, but many other note-taking enthusiasts have adapted his technique to better fit their needs.
Spider and Bubble Maps
The modern conception of “mind map” likely includes some influences from spider maps and bubble maps as well as Buzan’s original method. Spider and bubble both utilize mind maps but are less rigidly defined variations of Buzan’s method.
They do start with a single central topic, or two topics in double-bubble maps, just like Buzan’s. But when it comes to branching out to surrounding topics, there are some crucial differences.
Rather than labeling each branch, spider and bubble maps use lines to connect ideas that are themselves captured in bubbles. These bubbles can hold different subtopics, images, or text to further expand on the central idea.
This aspect gives spider and bubble maps greater versatility because note-takers can link themes cross-topic instead of everything proceeding directly from the same central theme branch. Because of this, note-takers will find themselves better able to see links and relationships between each bubble.
Concept Maps
Concept maps have a very similar structure, with the only real difference being that they are applied to a single concept rather than an entire topic. And instead of chunks of text as supporting details, the concept is explored through single keywords or short phrases that may include adjectives, applications, and other characteristics.
You can use concept maps to really dive deep into a new idea and improve your understanding of the core idea and everything that it entails. You may be surprised at how this little practice really expands your awareness of all of the nuance that goes into a single concept.
Spray Diagrams
Our friend Buzan also developed the technique of spray diagrams. They’re actually nearly identical to Buzan’s mind map method but are applied to a different function.
Namely, spray diagrams are used to represent the structure of an argument, situation, conversation, presentation, or written article. It maps out the relationships between that argument’s various key points and key ideas. Mind maps, on the other hand, are created by the note-taker essentially brainstorming on their own and creating their own organization for the information.
Many note-takers may find themselves creating a sort of hybrid between the two strategies, as they are very compatible with each other!
How to Draw a Mind Map
You’ve probably got the gist of it already, but let’s take a moment to walk through the how-tos of drawing a mind map, step by step.
Step 1: Draw a circle in the center of the page and label it with the title of the subject that you’re going to be exploring with your mind map.
Step 2: Draw lines radiating outward from this circle. Write a subheading for any key concepts or important facts, tasks, or elements that relate to your topic. Depending on which mind mapping technique you want to use, you write these subheadings in connected bubbles or on the lines themselves.
Step 3: Go deeper by linking the next level of information to the subheadings. This will include any sub-topics, tasks, facts, or details that support the subheadings.
Step 4: Keep repeating for more layers of information, taking care to label all new connections with appropriate headings and subheadings to keep things as organized as possible.
When your mind map is complete, it will have lines radiating out from the central topic, with more sub-topics forking off of those lines like branches on a tree. This mind map will grow by itself if you just do your best to keep it organized.
Disadvantages of Mind Maps
All right, all right, it’s not all sunshine and roses. I would be remiss to pretend that there are absolutely no downfalls to using mind maps in your note-taking. Allow me to steelman the opposition’s position so that when we get to the (much more illustrious) advantage section, you’ll know what it’s up against — and be able to see the potential solutions and just how smashing this method really is!
Admittedly, mind mapping can get a bit chaotic, especially for beginners in class. If you have too many ideas for your page, you may find that your organization goes out the window and you’re left with a mess on your hands. This result would require the note-taker to take some time after the session to reorganize their mind map notes on a new page in a cleaner way.
Mind maps can be time-consuming, depending on how much information you’re working with. Complicated concepts will take longer to plan out and organize. You may also lose track of time while doodling, sketching, or adding other images to your maps. What can we say? Creativity takes time!
You may find yourself losing information in your mind map, depending on how expansive it is. You may not have enough room for all the information, and pieces may get lost in the puzzle. But this is a phenomenon that all note-taking styles have to deal with, not just mind maps.
Some learners who are strictly logical in their thinking process may find mind maps’ creativity challenging. It has more of a brainstorming feel than traditional note-taking styles do, and the whole idea is to go with the flow of ideas. Mind maps are even very intuitive, which may be uncomfortable for learners who want to stick strictly to logic.
The Science Behind Mind Mapping and its Advantages
Now for revealing the magic behind the curtain. If you’ve been wondering this whole time why on earth you should give mind maps a try, then I’m glad you’ve stuck around for this long! There are a number of benefits that come along with mind mapping; we’re going to list a few here.
Memory Boost
Images help us remember concepts. Consider the word “tree.” What did you think of when you read it? Probably, you pictured a tree of some kind with a trunk, branches, and leaves. Our brains naturally want to associate concepts with images, and we are more likely to remember a concept if we have an image to represent it.
Mind maps offer mental triggers such as images, colors, shapes, visual-spatial arrangements, and connections that help the human brain process and memorize large amounts of data. Studies show that mind maps can improve memory by at least 10 to 15%, sometimes even as much as 32%.
Other studies that prove mind maps are highly effective for improving memory found that they are likely to “encourage a deeper level of processing” for better memory formation.
Creating strong associations between alternative concepts makes memory easier on the brain because it doesn’t have to remember each piece in a vacuum; it can remember the big picture or the network, and this contextual memory is easier to store.
When mind maps gather and highlight key branches within a boundary, they’re using a memory technique known as “chunking.” Did you know that your short-term memory is only capable of storing roughly seven items of information at a time? Chunking helps us use this storage space more effectively.
Novel and Fun Way to Learn
Mind maps are great for creative projects such as brainstorming sessions or planning work such as essays, reports, and presentations. They’re also ideal for group sessions, such as when a project manager wants to divide multiple tasks and subtasks among a team. Input from all members of the group can be easily harnessed in a dynamic and creative way.
They’re also useful for revision since they can easily break down complex information, remove memorization and recall, and allow the note-taker to easily see how elements of factual information can be moved around and reorganized in different ways.
Studies have shown that students find mind mapping fun, interesting, and motivating thanks to its creativity and use of color-coding, symbols, keywords, and design. It’s been shown that concept mapping seems to increase student confidence, give them a sense of skill and mastery over the material, and renew enthusiasm in the classroom.
Students with learning difficulties such as dyslexia or high-functioning autism find mind maps to be a more effective way of learning than traditional note-taking methods.
Complex Ideas Are Made Easy
One of the best reasons for using an online mind mapping tool is that its layout and aid in creating associations between related ideas and sub branches of themes help note-takers develop a better understanding of complex topics.
If a subject is particularly complicated or convoluted with a lot of interconnecting parts, mind maps help to sort out these ideas. This can be very helpful if, say, you’re a writer and you want to plan out a lengthy piece of writing.
By brainstorming with a mind map, you can see the entire big picture and are less likely to forget one idea while writing about another one.
Mind maps are excellent for reading and exploring new subjects because they can absorb large amounts of data quickly. This powerful tool also structures and stores all related and relevant ideas in a comprehensible way.
One study conducted on language learners who were learning English as a second language found that over 83% of students believed that mind mapping helped their comprehension of the subject.
Teach Effortlessly
As hinted at, mind maps are also very useful in helping you communicate your ideas to others, whether that be in a formal teaching context or simply in explaining a concept to a friend.
For many, presentations are a thing to dread and a source of nightmares. But mind maps can help with that! By organizing your ideas on a mind map, you make the main points and connections more memorable for yourself and for your audience, if you choose to use a mind map as part of your presentation.
Even if a challenging question crops up, you’ll be better prepared to answer it thanks to the visual structure of mind maps, which makes relevant information more accessible. It has been shown through studies that this feature of mind maps gives students more confidence and makes them better able to internalize information.
Another study shows that using visual elements in presentations is more effective for audiences than presentations that are solely text-based. It makes the presentation more concise, clear, interesting, professional, and credible.
Mind mapping is a pedagogical learning tool, and its visual nature helps promote better understanding. It’s also flexible and supports the audience’s exploration and presentation of ideas.
Encourages Creativity
It goes without saying that mind maps encourage creativity with their structure. They boost lateral thinking, which is essential for creativity, and stimulate the brain. Again, they are ideal for a brainstorming session because you can capture a bundle of different ideas all at once in an organized manner.
Mind maps can also be as fast or as slow as you want them to be. You can transcribe thoughts instantly, or very nearly instantly, and keep your ideas flowing and your thought organization frictionless — all of which aids in keeping you in a creative flow state.
For mind-map users who use this technique to prep for a writing project, studies have shown that 10 out of 12 people found that mind mapping improved their writing. It’s excellent not only for planning such a project but also for overcoming writer’s block and making one’s content more nuanced, detailed, and intricate.
Boost Productivity
The benefits of mind mapping begin before you even start taking notes. It can help you plan and organize your thinking and get all of your ideas out so that you can then decide how best to tackle a project or task. It’s been shown to be useful in helping students plan essays and projects more effectively due to its aid in improving structure, coherence, and quality.
Mind maps can structure vast amounts of information in both a hierarchical structure and a relational manner so that you can easily see the big picture without really even trying. This is obviously a benefit for you as the note-taker because it can optimize your organization of information while also streamlining your reviewing process.
It’s also ideal for presenting information to others, as we’ve mentioned, creating knowledge pools, and solving complex problems (which we will go more into here in a moment). It helps you learn faster and more comprehensively, communicate more efficiently, and brainstorm more effectively.
No matter what sector you’re in, whether academic, professional, or at home in your pajamas, mind mapping can save you a ton of time. According to a survey done by the Mind Mapping Software Blog, this style can increase productivity by an average of 23 percent.
Flexible and Versatile
Mind mapping can be applied to a variety of situations and uses. It can be used by students, professionals, teachers, homemakers, or hobbyists. You can use it to plan your daily tasks, a lengthy project, or your life goals. It’s ideal for both prioritizing and scheduling tasks, brainstorming new ideas quickly, and breaking down large concepts.
You can use it to write lengthy pieces or improve your team management skills. It’s much easier to lead a team discussion with a flexible technique for taking notes, such as mind mapping, especially when you can apply it to mapping the strengths and shortcomings of a team or plan.
Mind mapping can even be used effectively to record minutes in a meeting, and it even has the power to make such menial tasks interesting and creative.
Refines Problem-Solving
Everyone has problems that need solving, and mind mapping can help with all of them. Its nonlinear yet logical structure gives you the opportunity to gain new perspectives on the problem and potential solutions, while its emphasis on relationships gives you clarity and prompts further reflection on the different elements and how they relate to each other.
You can see both the big picture and the minute details all in one visual. It’s easy to add new knowledge or ideas, and it doesn’t tie you down to a rigid structure.
Research has shown mind maps to enhance thinking skills, including critical thinking, whole-brain thinking, and comprehensive thinking. It also ties your left and right brains together, integrating the words, logic, and linearity of your left brain with all the ideas, curves, colors, and artistry of your right brain.
In other words, each cortical skill is brought into play to enhance the performance of the other areas, getting your brain to operate at peak performance.
Claim the Benefits of Mind Mapping for Yourself
As mentioned, mind maps are ideal for many contexts, the most popular being education and learning, personal development, and business or work.
The most obvious note-takers are students, and there are certainly a number of advantages for students to use mind mapping. Here are some of those advantages:
- Boosts creative thinking
- Helps retain information better
- Increases productivity
- Offers time-effective revision processes
- Doesn’t require any fancy software or expensive supplies
And that’s just if you’re using handwritten notes. Check out the benefits if you opt for a digital mind map:
- You can always add more information, easily
- Images, pictures, or documents are a breeze to incorporate
- There are no space limits
- You don’t have to worry about bad handwriting or a messy presentation
- Easy to rearrange
Using mind maps as a planning tool online or in meetings or group settings is also very advantageous, with some of the benefits including:
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Promotes cooperation
- Can easily add new information or layers to the hierarchy
- Very transparent
- Easy for participants to copy for their own version
Choosing the Best Mind Map for You
Clearly, mind maps are extremely versatile, offering a variety of features and allowing you to incorporate all kinds of visuals. As we discussed early in the blog post, there are several different types of maps for different functions.
When you’re sitting down to create your own mind map templates, consider what you need and how you learn best. First, determine if a mind map is truly the best note-taking strategy for your current needs and goals. Then consider which mind-mapping techniques or aspects will be most useful for you.
There’s no hard-and-fast rule for which mind map is the absolute best. It really comes down to you — your needs, goals, and personal preferences. Play around with different mind-mapping techniques and see what works best for you!
Conclusion
There you have it, folks: an introduction to mind maps and why you should use them when taking notes.
In this post, we talked about the different kinds of mind maps and what they can look like, whether it’s the Buzan mind map, spider and bubble maps, concept maps, or spray diagrams.
We briefly looked at the disadvantages of using this technique, which mostly come down to its potential to be complicated and messy for beginners to navigate. There’s a bit of a learning curve when adapting to this new style of note-taking since it encourages us to think about note-taking differently.
Then we looked at all of the advantages of mind mapping. It boosts your memory and retention of information, as demonstrated by a host of studies that found mind maps to improve retention from 10 to 32% by grouping information in ways that are easier for your brain to remember.
It’s a novel and fun way to take notes, thanks to its creative structure. And yet, it can also break down complex information and help students with learning difficulties. It’s ideal for individual use or group sessions, for planning actions, and for understanding complex concepts.
Mind maps create associations between information, which deepen the learner’s comprehension of the topic. They’re also fantastic for exploring new subjects because they can absorb vast amounts of information quickly and comprehensively.
You can use mind maps to improve your teaching and presentation skills because they help you better understand the information yourself and also better communicate that information to others.
Mind maps are adept at boosting creativity, both in your note-taking and in your thinking. This can also make for a better-quality product if you’re using this technique to plan a project.
Surveys show mind maps improve productivity by an average of 23 percent, which makes sense considering how efficient they are as a planning tool and for capturing complex data.
Mind maps are versatile and can be used by anyone across a range of different situations and for a variety of applications.
And lastly, creating mind maps can help refine your problem-solving abilities by laying out information in a fresh way and emphasizing the links and interconnectedness of its pieces. It’s been shown to enhance the note-taker’s critical thinking skills, which sure come in handy when problem-solving.
In short, mind maps are very useful and effective tools for evolving your note-taking and project-planning skills to the next level. So grab a notebook and a pen, get your creative juices flowing, and get started!