How To Create a Mind Map Online?

A mind map can greatly boost your creative thinking capabilities and thus enhance productivity. Whether you are in business or in government, mind maps can be highly helpful to you. The same applies to students, educators, and those working in all other types of organizations.

The mind map itself is a diagram tool through which information is visually represented in a hierarchy, but with a single central concept. The usefulness of mind maps can’t be overstated in areas like project management, problem-solving, teaching, and so on. It is a tool through which you can get better results in tasks like brainstorming, planning, and making presentations.

In this article, we shall be seeking to know what exactly the mind map is, and how to create a mind map online.

We will therefore start by defining the mind map. Then, we will go further to look at reasons why using mind maps is a good idea. Thereafter, we will explore the main elements to create a mind map, how to prepare for creating one, and how to actually create mind map online. Let’s dive in now.

Table of Contents

What is a Mind Map?

Why Use a Mind Map?

What are the Key Elements of a Mind Map?

How to Prepare for Creating a Mind Map?

How to Create a Mind Map Online?

A mind map can be defined as a diagram for the visual representation of information – whereby a central theme is first figured out, then various related ideas radiate from it. What one then ends up with is a type of spider diagram, with a central node and various branches that arise from it.

The mind map serves the purpose of helping people to think creatively and generate new ideas. This may, for instance, be within a brainstorming meeting. Or it could be within a session where you just decide to personally think deeply about a particular issue. The mind map then helps you to work out what the main central theme is, and which branches (ideas/subtopics) arise from it.

The mind map can also be very useful while making various presentations, especially with regard to simplifying complex ideas. Stuff that would be otherwise very hard for people to understand can be made more palatable through the use of a mind map.

For one, a mind map can help you come up with the best possible solutions to problems. That is because the mind map forces you to think in a non-linear way. You start with a central theme, then figure out what ideas radiate from it. In many cases, this translates into better problem-solving, whenever you take the trouble to create a mind map.

Further, a mind map can improve information retention. Things that would be otherwise very hard to recall become more easily memorable when presented visually, through a mind map.

On another note, a mind map can enhance productivity. For instance, in a work context, solutions to problems that would have taken ages to get solved are found faster, with help of mind maps. Similarly, concepts that would have taken eons to train employees on can be disseminated faster (and more effectively) through mind maps.

Mind maps can also make teamwork more effective. That is for instance when it comes to brainstorming or making presentations to the whole team.

A mind map always has (and starts with) a central idea. This should be literally at the center of the paper, whiteboard, or whichever other medium the mind map is being drawn on. Stemming from this central idea are various branches. The branches that arise directly from the central idea are referred to as subtopics. Further branches can arise from each of those as well, ending up with a multi-tiered structure. Connecting the various nodes within the mind map are relationship arrows.

Now representing information on a mind map using full sentences would be rather awkward and inconvenient. This is what creates the need for keywords. Through them, you are able to present the central idea, the sub-topics, and further branches using single words. You then end up with mind maps that look less cluttered and are easier to make sense of.

Color is used effectively to highlight and categorize information in a mind map. And images are utilized within it as well to help with better visualization of the information in it.

There are numerous examples of effective mind maps. Those include the mind maps through which solutions to complex business problems have been found (via brainstorming). Others are mind maps through which teachers have been able to get their students to understand fairly difficult concepts. Then, there are the mind maps through which highly effective presentations have been made, in the course of business meetings.

While preparing to create a mind map, you have to start by selecting a topic to be tackled or a problem to be solved. Remember, the topic or problem you choose at this stage will be the ‘central idea’ in your mind map. You, therefore, need to think very carefully about it.

After selecting the topic, you can start brainstorming. You do this with the objective of gathering the ideas that will form subtopics or further branches.

Several tips can help you in organizing the information in a mind map and creating a good plan:

Step 1: you need to ensure that the subtopics you come up with truly define the central idea. Even if the central idea is blotted out, one should be able to more or less figure out what it was just by looking at the subtopics. The same applies to the further branches that arise from each subtopic.

Step 2: you need to pick good keywords that will describe various things in your mind map. In each area, the selected keyword should be one that instantly gets you to recall whatever it is supposed to represent.

Step 3: you need to carefully think about what colors and images to use to create a mind map. With regard to images, think deeply about the ideas whose visualizations they are meant to enhance. And with regard to colors, give a lot of thought to what they are meant to highlight or categorize – and their appropriateness for that.

To create a mind map online, you have to start by identifying the web-based platform you will be using for the purpose. This may, for instance, be on a site that allows you to make use of a whiteboard, to create mind map online. One such platform is MioCreate, through which people in different places can collaborate in real-time to create a mind map on a whiteboard.

Having selected an appropriate platform, you then need to start by putting down the central idea. So, if you are working on an online whiteboard, you get a clean slate. Then at the center of it, you put down the central idea.

Once you have put the central idea down, the next thing is to add branches (subtopics) to it. These should be other ideas that logically flow from the central one. Use relationship arrows to connect the various nodes in the map. For each subtopic, you may think of and add other subtopics that naturally flow from it.

Instead of using sentences to describe the main idea and subtopics flowing from it, use keywords. These should be single words or very short phrases. Then, add colors for the purpose of highlighting and categorizing information.

Also use images where necessary, to help attain better visualization of various aspects. A good mind mapping software should allow you to add elements like images and colors with ease. That for instance is the case with MioCreate software. It even allows you to add video and file attachments to various elements on your mind map! Consider signing up for a free trial of it now.

These tips can help you in laying out and formatting your mind map effectively:

· Ensure that the text and shape sizes used throughout the mind map have some uniformity (or at least coherence).

· For each idea level, use the same color. Then, use a different color for the next idea level, and so on. You will then end up with a visual hierarchy. An online whiteboard platform like MioCreate enables you to do this with ease.

· Keep the mind map neat (however complex it gets).

Conclusion

As we have seen, a mind map is a tool through which you can increase productivity and boost your ability to think creatively. You can use the mind map in problem-solving, project management, teaching, and many other areas.

The mind map has many benefits, ranging from improving information retention to better problem solving, greater productivity, and enhancing teamwork collaboration.

As we have explained, it is actually quite easy to create a mind map online. And there are software tools like MioCreate which make it even easier while giving you professional-looking mind maps. Explore MioCreate today, with a free trial, and start creating effective mind maps now.