What is a mind map?

A mind map is a diagram that puts one idea in the centre and lets related ideas branch out from it: themes first, details further out. It mirrors how you actually think about a topic, in clusters and connections rather than lines of text.

Where a page of notes forces everything into one long list, a mind map shows the shape of a subject at a glance: how many big themes there are, which one is thin, and what connects to what. That makes it useful for three jobs in particular:

  • Studying: condensing a chapter or a whole course into one page you can revise from.
  • Brainstorming: getting ideas out quickly without deciding their order yet.
  • Planning: breaking an essay, project or event into parts until each part is a task.

The term was popularised by Tony Buzan in the 1970s, though people have drawn radial diagrams of knowledge for centuries; Porphyry’s tree of categories dates from the 3rd century.

Planning a trip toJapanWhenSpring: cherry blossomAutumn: leavesWhereTokyoKyotoOsakaBudgetRail passHostelsMust tryRamenOnsenTemples
A simple mind map: one centre, four themes, details as keywords.

From notes to map, step by step

Step through how eight lines of ordinary lecture notes turn into a map, and what the map shows that the list couldn’t.

Step 1 of 5: Linear notes. This is how most of us write in a lecture: one line after another, in the order things were said. Look at the last line. It belongs with aqueducts, but it’s stranded at the bottom.

  1. The Romans built roads across the empire
  2. Roads let the army move fast
  3. Traders used the same roads
  4. Aqueducts carried water into cities
  5. Used gravity, a very gentle slope
  6. Concrete made domes possible
  7. The Pantheon dome is still standing
  8. Water in cities meant public baths

The map is empty until we decide what it’s about.

How to make a mind map

  1. Start in the middle. Write your topic in the centre of a blank page (or the online editor). Turn the page sideways if you’re on paper: landscape gives branches more room.
  2. Add 3–7 main branches. These are your big themes or questions. Give each its own colour so you can tell them apart instantly.
  3. Use keywords. One word or a short phrase per branch. Full sentences turn the map back into notes.
  4. Branch outward. Details go on thinner branches further from the centre. The further out, the more specific.
  5. Connect and review. Draw links between ideas on different branches, then check: is any branch thin? That’s where to read more.

What makes a good one

It passes the explain-it test. Cover your notes and talk through the topic using only the map. Wherever you stall, a branch is missing or a keyword is too vague.

Try the test on something you only half understand, like why the Moon seems to change shape; ahaboo’s narrated explainer on it makes a handy answer key.

It’s yours. Maps copied from someone else help much less than maps you build, because the benefit comes from deciding what goes where.

It stays readable. If a branch grows past about seven children, group them. Collapse finished branches so you can focus on the one you’re working on.

Want a head start? Browse mind map templates or see filled-in examples.

Mind map, concept map, spider diagram: which is which?

A mind map has one centre and a strict hierarchy. A concept map is a web of ideas joined by labelled lines (“causes”, “is part of”); read the full mind map vs concept map comparison. A spider diagram is a quick, usually single-level mind map drawn in radial form (make one), and a bubble map surrounds a topic with describing words (make one).

Questions people ask

What is a mind map in simple words?

A mind map is a diagram with one main idea in the centre and related ideas branching out from it, like roads leaving a city. Each branch holds a theme, and smaller branches hold the details.

Who invented the mind map?

Radial note diagrams are old, but the term “mind map” was popularised by British author Tony Buzan in the 1970s, notably in his 1974 BBC series and book Use Your Head.

What are the rules of a mind map?

Buzan’s classic guidelines: start in the centre, use one keyword per line, give each main branch its own colour, make branches thick near the centre and thinner further out, and use images where you can. Most people keep the first three and relax the rest.

Do mind maps actually help you remember?

They can. A 2002 study of medical students by Farrand, Hussain and Hennessy (Medical Education) found better recall of factual material a week later in the mind-mapping group. Much of the benefit comes from building the map yourself, which forces you to pick keywords and decide how ideas relate.

What is the difference between a mind map and a concept map?

A mind map radiates from one central idea in a hierarchy. A concept map is a network: ideas can connect to any other idea, and every line is labelled with a verb such as “causes” or “requires”.

How many branches should a mind map have?

There’s no fixed number, but 3 to 7 main branches keeps a map readable. If you have more, some probably belong together under a shared parent.