Ryan Lopano Blog

According to Mindmapping.com, a mind map is a “diagram for representing tasks, words, concepts, or items linked to and arranged around a central concept or subject using a non-linear graphical layout that allows the user to build an intuitive framework around a central concept.” Personally, whenever I see a mind map, I always think of a detective’s board, where it has the spider web of string connecting everything, but in reality, that is kind of what it is. It is a way to take a bunch of related ideas and bring them together. Something else that makes me think of mind maps is a Prezi presentation. You can zoom it back super far, and it gives off the same idea of a mind map. Regardless, mind maps are very useful for many purposes.

It seems like a really good way to just get ideas onto paper, then they could get organized into subcategories. I can see this being super useful in graphic design when creating a brand identity. If you take a bunch of words and images that your client likes and relates to, you can stick them on one mind map and connect them all together. This makes total sense as a Psychology Author and Television Presenter, Tony Buzan, was the one to come up with the term mind map, according to The Interaction Design Foundation. It goes on to talk about how “in user experience (UX) design, effective organization and a clear understanding of information are nothing short of vital for any digital product to succeed. Sure enough, designers and design teams depend on this clarity to help create user-friendly products and services.” This is definitely useful to someone who has a designer mind, as looking at ideas and concepts more visually is definitely very useful.

Something else that mind maps seem like they could be useful for is formulating ideas for an essay. It could be a step before writing an outline as an informal way to get your ideas onto paper. Depending on how you write and how your brain works, this can definitely be helpful. I have never tried this, but I really wouldn’t be opposed to the idea. Overall, it could be a good step to dive into a longer essay, just like the white paper we need to write. According to the Graduate College at Illinois, “The key of mind mapping is that it allows a writer flexibility while discouraging us from thinking too much about the phrasing, layout, and sentence-level structure of our ideas.” This basically confirms my point, showing that mind maps are good at laying out ideas before you have even thought about writing your paper or your outline.

Despite being unfamiliar at first, it seems like mind maps are an underrated tool in our everyday lives. From being useful in academic settings, like writing a paper, or in a more professional setting, like helping clients create brand identities and other designs, they seem very practical.