Mind Map

An abductive technique that is a loose and unstructured diagram that is used to connect related and unrelated information, opinions, problems, solutions, ideas together through open-ended thought. Essentially a loosely organized affinity diagram with the purpose of filling in the gaps and making new connections.

When to Use

1. Use to document ideas and notes to attempt to fill in the gaps to generate new ideas, find new relationships, find new opportunities , or capture new hypotheses.

Steps

1. Capture each specific note and place on a physical or digital board.
2. Group notes by relationship.
3. Name the groups. If appropriate draw lines between groups to show additional relationships.
4. Generate additional ideas related to groups.
5. Look to connect relationships between groups. If there’s not a direct connection, consider what idea or note that could fit in between the two groups.

References

1. https://writingcooperative.com/how-to-create-a-mind-map-a-practical-guide-7c4000a4c5bc
2. https://sprintstories.com/the-better-mind-map-a-quick-technique-to-organise-thinking-and-boost-creativity-e195ddd66f4c
3. https://www.atlassian.com/team-playbook/plays/mind-mapping

Created by: Joe Steinkamp | Last updated by: Joe Steinkamp