Mind Mapping

While the origins of mind maps can be traced back centuries, the method as it has come to be known in contemporary society was popularised by Tony Buzan¹, a British educator and TV personality.

Mind maps are a relatively commonplace method across many fields of design, which is reflective of how versatile their use and application has become in the broader field of design. Put simply, a mind map is a brainstorming method that visually ‘maps’ thoughts, concepts, a sequence of events, the parts of a system – whatever is contextually relevant to the project at hand.

Mind maps commonly start with a single word or phrase at their centre, with related terms and concepts branching out from the centre-point. You’ll find mind maps used by individuals and teams, often from a project’s inception and throughout the design process, as they often become a ‘living document’ that can help track and keep an account of a project’s development.

Mind maps use keywords, colours, pictures, symbols and the spatial relationship between these elements to create a kind of ‘thinking network’. They’re unique and individual to each person who’s developed them, as they contain a lot of tacit or implicit information that isn’t visible on the page. Familiarity with the topic, author and context can aid in third-parties being able to decode your mind map, which can be useful when working collaboratively on mind maps. If working collaboratively or trying to express your mind map to others, such as peers, colleagues and stakeholders, it’s worthwhile considering a key or legend, or perhaps a system such as grouping ideas by colour or shape.

While mind-maps aren’t are particularly new method, nor exclusive to interaction design, they’re a really powerful tool that every designer can gain benefit from. The activity we’ve developed here is specifically focussed on helping interaction designers get the most out of their mind maps!

Before commencing the mind-mapping process there are a few things to consider:

• Mind-maps are exploratory and can have many different applications in your projects.
• Think about your page/paper size and using a variety of different coloured pencils, pens and markers.
• We suggest working with permanent media that cannot be erased – this helps you commit to expressing your ideas in the mind map.

Activity

Before you start

Mind maps come in many shapes and sizes, each unique to the authors own personal style. What they all have in common is that they explore ideas with the aim of enabling us to see new possibilities. The following activity is a step-by-step guide to the basics of individual mind-mapping.

Activity steps

1. Start by writing your initial word or phrase in the centre of the page.
2. Then begin adding in some scoping words  – some we find most useful are:
   • Demographics & stakeholders: who is the project’s audience? Who else is involved? List out the key groups and some of their unique qualities.
   • Interaction: this key word prompts you to consider existing and possible interactions.
   • Context: what is the project’s context of use? What makes this environment unique? How can your design engage with the environment’s specific qualities?
   • Technologies: what technologies can be implemented to realise the project? What other projects use these same technologies? Why are they successful? Or not?
   • Aims: what need is the project seeking to address? Why does it need to exist? What’s its value?
3. Use varying colours, line weights, icons, pictograms, arrows to create a hierarchy. Your mind map should be easy for you to follow, while also allowing you to explore concepts and explain them to others.
4. Make a short summary of points when you’re finished (you can do this on the back of the map). This ensures your explorations result in practical insights for your project. Don’t be afraid to further develop the map later on too!

Notes

Consider recording your mind mapping process as a time-lapse video using a camera-enabled device. A time-lapse provides you an easy way to look back at your ideas developing and is fantastic to include in any design documentation or presentations.

When working on collaborative projects, digital services such as Coggle are a good alternative for cloud-based mind mapping that allows for multiple contributors.

References

1. Buzan, Tony. 1974. Use Your Head. 1st ed. London: BBC Books.