How to create beautiful and creative thinking maps with Mind map

Learning how to capture information and ideas with some techniques has helped more than 250 million people worldwide organize their work better, increase productivity and be more creative.

Mind maps, mind maps are a way to capture information created by Tony Buzan, a psychologist and author of best-selling books. The proven mind map helps to increase productivity, creativity and memory. Therefore, this article will guide you how to map minds in accordance with standards to get the most professional working style!

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This technique has been used by more than 250 million people around the world for a variety of purposes, including brainstorming (brainstorming), identifying new opportunities, organizing, managing projects, and teaching. , learning, communication and more.

1. What is mind map?

Mind maps or mind maps are a visual thinking tool that can be applied to all cognitive functions, especially memory, learning, creativity and analysis. Mind maps are a process that involves different combinations of images, colors, and spatial-visual arrangements. This technique maps your thoughts, using keywords that stimulate brainstorming to develop other ideas.

Mind maps can be drawn by hand or using iMindMap software created by Tony Buzan - the father of this idea. When creating a mind map, there are many factors to consider, including center map images, branches, colors, keywords and other images.

2. Steps to draw a mind map

Step 1: Create a central idea

The central idea or idea is the starting point of the mind map and represents the topic you are about to explore.

Your central idea should be centered on the page and include an image that represents the theme of the Mind map. This attracts attention and develops other ideas, because our brain responds better to visual stimuli.

Taking the time to personalize your main idea, whether you create it by hand or on the computer, will enhance the connection you have to the content in the mind map.

Step 2: Add branches to the map

The next step is to create branches. The main branches that flow from the central image are important topics. You can explore each topic or main branch further by adding sub-branches.

The beauty of mind maps is that you can constantly add new branches without being limited by a few options. Remember, the structure of the Mind Map will naturally be created as you add more ideas and the free brain comes up with many new ideas from different concepts.

Step 3: Add keywords

When you add a branch to the mind map, you'll need to add a key idea. The important rule of creating mind maps is to use one word for a branch. It is better to keep one word for a large number of links than to use multiple words or phrases.

For example, if you include the term "Birthday party" in a branch, you will be limited to the party aspect. However, if you only use the keyword "Birthday", you can develop and explore more keywords party, as well as other keywords like cakes, gifts ...

One word per branch also works better for pieces of information from the main topic. Use keywords that stimulate your brain and allow you to memorize a large amount of information. This is evidenced by Farrand, Hussain and Hennessy (2002), who found that medical students used Mind maps to increase 10% of long-term memory for practical information.

Step 4: Distribute color to the branches

The mind map encourages the brain to think because it brings a great deal of cortical skills from thinking, numbers to creativity and specialization.

Overlapping such skills makes your brain more synergistic and maintains the optimal working level of the brain. Keeping these cortical skills separate from each other doesn't help brain development while the Mind map is trying to do that.

An example of the whole brain thinking is the color coding of your Mind map. Colors associate vision with thinking and help your brain create mental shortcuts. This allows you to categorize, highlight, analyze information and identify many connections that have never been discovered before. Colors also make images more appealing and eye-catching when compared to monochrome images.

Step 5: Include images

Images with the power of transmission put more information than a word, a sentence or even a paragraph. They are processed immediately by the brain and act as visual stimuli to recall information. Moreover, images are global languages ​​that can help people from different countries of the world to overcome all language barriers.

We have learned how to handle images since childhood. According to Margulies (1991), before young children learn a language, they visualize images in the mind related to concepts. Therefore, Mind map strongly maximizes the potential of the image.

In the era of information technology, when most people own at least one electronic device such as computers, smartphones, and tablets, taking advantage of such devices brings convenience. small. To practice and map your mind, you don't need to carry pen and paper wherever you go, just download and use the iMindMap software. You can explore inspired features designed to enhance your flexibility and productivity.

It can be said that Mind map is one of the most effective methods to take advantage of the ability to recognize images of the brain, helping to increase the ability to remember, think, analyze or synthesize information of a problem. . Knowing how to create and utilize mind maps will help you a lot in your studies and work.