Mind Mapping for Focus

For anyone who finds planning, memorizing, or making decisions a little daunting, mind maps make this process easier. Mind mapping is similar to brainstorming or outlining ideas, and has been shown to improve memory, solve problems, and help people understand and organize large chunks of info. This technique can help make connections between two dissimilar topics, which can add depth to your subject.


If you're a writer, or have a writing assignment, mind mapping may also help you write faster, break through writer's block, or even come up with a topic. Research has shown that students can perform 10% better on tests and assignments when they use mind mapping. You can also use these for your daily life, career planning, or work assignments. Basically, mind maps help you in any area where you need to organize more than a couple basic pieces of information.


These are easy to make. To start, simply write your primary topic on a blank sheet of paper. From this primary topic, draw lines (arrows, boxes, or whatever you desire) to the important categories. Draw pictures next to them if you'd like; this can help with memory.


Begin making subtopics under the categories. Brainstorm, use free association, and don't be afraid to include silly things. Add more categories and subtopics as necessary. This is for your use only. You're finished when you can think of nothing else to add, though you'll often find that if you come back to what you've done, you'll have more to add.


Once you're finished, you can rewrite it neatly or color code the whole map. Review what you've written, and give some thought to the conclusions you've come to. If you still feel overwhelmed, put the map aside and come back to it in a few hours or the next day.


It's important not to let the mind map stall your progress. Once you've created one and you know where to go, be sure to act on it! Make a plan of action or to-do list. Don't let your hard work be for nothing.


You can choose to make your mind maps in your journal, or another place you know you will refer to frequently. Or you can write them on whatever scrap paper is close to hand and file them away. I print a lot of sheets, and I like to do mine on the back of these. Recycling. Sort of.


Another tip: to place completed maps in a three ring binder so that you'll know exactly where to find them for later use.


Mind maps are an excellent way to generate a lot of ideas without being hung up on structure. Once you finish, you can review everything you wrote, then focus on creating something using your strongest ideas.

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Brainstorming Essentials: Graphic Organizers Such as Mind Maps & Venn Diagrams

How useful are graphic organizers such as mind maps and Venn diagrams to brainstorming?


There are those who equate brainstorming to coming up with a series of terrific ideas that help us get something done or some problem solved, and on the levels of simplicity, there is truth to that. In some circles, the concept of brainstorming is also referred to as idea management or creative thinking.


Yet, brainstorming, especially when done in a group setting, is much more precise and organized. There are tools and techniques that have been developed to help minimize a random brainstorming approach, and instead develop it into a precise technique. These tools help an individual or a group to focus on a problem, and then very deliberately develop creative solutions to that problem. 


Some of the more common tools used in the brainstorming process are graphic organizers like mind maps and Venn diagrams. These tools are most useful when the brainstorming process is being embarked upon by a group.


Chief among the brainstorming graphic organizers are the mind map and Venn Diagram. There are also the KWL tables, which although this graphic organizer is often used as a creative tool in a learning environment. The KWL Table for example is very often used by instructors KWL is an acronym for What We Know.


The mind map helps one to see how the key word radiates out from a centralized point. The mind map is a diagram that one draws by placing the key word in the center and then mapping out radially all the words, ideas, tasks or other items that are linked to that key word or key idea. It can help the brainstorming group visualize, structure, or classify the ideas. It can show how one idea feeds into another, etc. 


Concept mapping is structurally different in that the key concept is placed at the top of a chart and many other concepts are added below. It can often help to stimulate learning in the sciences and other subjects. It is also used to represent the expert knowledge of teams for business or even government projects.


Then there is the Venn diagram, which has been in existence since 1880. The Venn diagram is named after its inventor, John Venn. Venn diagrams are used quite extensively in a number of fields to help show all the possible relations between groups of things. They can be used in as complex of settings as logic, statistics, set theory and probability, or as simple a setting as a brainstorming session to determine and visualize possible relationships within that specific creative problem solving arena. 


As the web develops and grows, it is now possible to locate templates or research possible tools to buy or create these various graphic organizers. For example, there are a number of websites where one can download mind mapping and concept mapping charts, as well as Venn Diagram templates. It is possible to make these items on one’s own computer, but many have found the ease in downloading these various graphic organizers to be much swifter and definitely more efficient especially when you take into consideration that their primary goal is to use the mind maps and Venn diagrams in their brainstorming not have to first create those graphic organizers to that they can finally get on to the higher goal of brainstorming.

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MindGenius 4 brainstorm and present idea modes

MindGenius 4 boasts new ways to brainstorm and present ideas and information, and adds improved analysis, task and project management capabilities that let users develop and deliver more innovative solutions and projects than ever before. 

The new brainstorming mode offers maximised space to view information in a new unstructured layout and makes full use of the unique MindGenius Question sets and categorization features. Users can move from brainstorming to action quickly using automatically created category or question centric maps on exit from the brainstorm.The new presentation mode extends the power of visual communication to presentations with the ability to easily convert maps into slides and deliver fully formatted presentations directly from MindGenius. Users can deliver interactive presentations where information can be captured live onto the slides during the slide show. 

There is also a range of enhancements to the existing analysis, task and project management features of MindGenius, including visual categorisation, improved filtering and new Gantt chart link and constraint types. 


Derek Jack, Director of MindGenius, believes that this latest release will further strengthen MindGenius's reputation as the Mind Mapping tool that helps users deliver business processes:


“This new release was developed to capitalise on the existing strengths of Version 3, as well as take the brainstorming, presentation and task and project management capability to the next level. As with all MindGenius releases, every feature and piece of functionality was added to support a specific business process and have been tried and tested in a real business environment.”


Version 4 is the latest major release from MindGenius. The release further strengthens MindGenius's ability to deliver business processes. 


In addition to responding to customer usability and feature requests, major Improvements have been made in these key areas:

• Brainstorming
• Project Management
• Task Management
• Presentations

Video: MindGenius 4 -- What's New?

Source: MindGenius.com