Mind Map Principles

Posted by Faizel Mohidin on Feb 26, 2009 in Mind Mapping, Mind Maps in Education | 1 comment

Organic

• A Mind Map®, in its ideal form, should be organic.
• It should use free flowing branches that are curves.
• The inner branches should be thicker closer to the centre and become thinner as they radiate outwards.
• The outer branches should be thinner that the inner ones.

One Word Per Line

Each branch should contain only one word. Tony Buzan is very strict when it comes to this rule. He believes that one word per branch generates the most creativity.
Our experience has shown that this is the rule, which is broken most often and will be your biggest challenge when learning to Mind Map®. We have our own set of rules governing this rule, which you will discover as you use our material.

World Length

Word Length should equal Branch Length. This ensures that the link between the two is maintained and therefore more likely to be remembered.

Colour

Colour stimulates the imagination and enables you to remember more.
You also learn easier and faster if colour is used.

Images

As the saying goes, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’ Pictures are also a universal language and the way humans communicate.
All the geniuses of the world used images in their notes. Have a look at the notes of Da Vinci, Darwin and even Beethoven.

Words not important

Words alone are not important. It is actually the images that the words create that are important. Choose words that create the clearest image of what you are trying to remember.

Clarity

By printing clearly and structuring your Mind Maps® properly, you will have both clarity of thinking and structured thought.

Mind Map Principles