Mind map
Put one topic in the middle of the page and let everything connected to it branch outwards, so you can see the whole subject before you choose a path.
- Time
- 20 min
- People
- 1–6
- Kind of work
- Generate · Understand
In short
A mind map is a diagram that starts with one central topic and branches outwards into main themes, then smaller ideas, so a whole subject fits on one page. To make one, write the topic in the centre, add four to seven main branches, grow each branch with short words, then link related ideas and circle what to explore next.
What it is
A mind map is a radial picture of a subject. The topic sits in the middle. Thick branches leave it for the main themes, and thinner branches grow from those for details, examples and questions. Each branch carries a word or a short phrase, not a sentence, so the map stays quick to read. Because nothing has to come first, a mind map lets you capture ideas in the order they arrive and still see how they fit together.
The technique was popularised by Tony Buzan in the 1970s, drawing on older ways of drawing knowledge as branching diagrams, and it is now widely used for note-taking, planning and early idea generation. In service and policy work it is useful at two moments: at the start, to lay out everything you already know and do not know about a topic, and when generating ideas, to explore many directions from one challenge. In this worksheet you record the central topic, the main branches, the sub-branches, the links between branches, the gaps and what to explore next.
When to use it
Use it when
- You are starting work on an unfamiliar topic and want to lay out what the team already knows before planning research.
- You need to prepare interview or workshop questions and want to make sure no theme is missed.
- A meeting keeps going in circles and you want everyone to see all the threads of the discussion at once.
- You want to explore many directions from one challenge before choosing which ones to develop.
- You are working alone and need a fast way to organise your own thinking before writing a brief or a plan.
Skip it when
- You need to show a sequence of steps or a process over time. A process flowchart or journey map fits better.
- You need to sort a large pile of existing research notes. Affinity grouping is designed for that.
- The group must reach a decision between known options. Use a decision tool such as dot voting or a weighted decision matrix.
You need
- Time
- About 20 minutes for a first map; 10 minutes more if you want to merge maps drawn by individuals.
- People
- 1 to 6 people. It works well alone, and in a group each person can draw their own map before you combine them.
- Materials
- A large blank sheet in landscape or a shared digital board, and markers in three or four colours.
How to run it
Step 1: Write the topic in the centre
Write the subject in the middle of a landscape sheet as a short phrase, and draw a box or circle around it, for example "why small businesses leave us in their first year". Keep it to one topic; if you find yourself writing "and", you may need two maps.
Step 2: Draw the main branches
Draw four to seven thick branches out from the centre, one for each main theme, and write one or two words on each. If you are stuck, try the questions who, what, when, where, why and how. Give each main branch its own colour.
Step 3: Grow each branch quickly
Add thinner branches for details, examples, facts and questions. Work fast and write single words or short phrases. Move freely between branches as ideas come; the point is to capture, not to tidy. Five to eight minutes of fast branching usually gives enough material.
Step 4: Mark what you know and what you assume
Go back over the map and put a small tick next to points backed by data or research, and a question mark next to those that are guesses. This turns a picture of ideas into a picture of evidence, which matters before anyone acts on it.
Step 5: Link related ideas
Draw dotted lines between items on different branches that affect each other, for example a billing issue that also shows up under customer support. Cross-links often reveal the most interesting part of the topic, because they show where themes that seem separate are really one.
Step 6: Combine maps if you worked separately
If several people drew their own maps, put them side by side and copy any new branch onto one shared map. Note the themes that appeared on almost every map and those only one person thought of; both are useful.
Step 7: Choose what to explore next
Circle two or three areas that are important and full of question marks. For each, write the next action: a question to research, an idea to develop or a person to talk to. Date the map and keep it with the project notes.
Worked example
A telecoms operator's business division found that 27% of small businesses that signed a fixed broadband and mobile bundle cancelled within 12 months, against 9% for larger companies. The customer experience team had two weeks to plan interviews and wanted to be sure they asked about the right things.
Four people spent 20 minutes on the map: a customer experience lead, an account manager for small businesses, a billing analyst and a contact centre supervisor. They wrote "why small businesses leave us in their first year" in the centre.
They drew six main branches: price, installation, billing, support, the product itself and the competition. The installation branch grew fastest, with notes such as "engineer no-show", "shop closed for the visit" and "router set up by the owner's nephew".
Marking evidence showed that only 9 of the 41 points had data behind them. Most of the billing branch was backed by complaint records; almost the whole support branch was guesswork.
A dotted link joined "first bill higher than quoted" on the billing branch with "calls in month one" on the support branch. The billing analyst confirmed that pro-rated first bills often looked like overcharging.
The team circled three areas for the interviews: the first bill, the installation visit and who in the business actually handles the account. They wrote 12 interview questions from those branches the same afternoon.
IllustrativeTips and mistakes
Tips
- Turn the sheet sideways. Landscape gives the branches room to grow without crowding.
- Use one or two words per branch. Sentences slow you down and make the map hard to scan.
- Let everyone draw alone first for five minutes in a group. It stops the loudest person from setting all the branches.
- Leave space around the edges. The best ideas often arrive in the last few minutes.
Common mistakes
- Writing a list in the middle of the page and calling it a mind map, which loses the branching structure that shows relationships.
- Choosing a central topic that is really a solution, such as "new loyalty app", which narrows the map before it starts.
- Treating every branch as fact, when many points are assumptions that still need checking.
- Spending the session making the map neat instead of making it full.
What you walk away with
You leave with one mind map showing the central topic, its main themes and details, the links between them and which points rest on evidence, plus two or three circled areas with a next action for each. From here, teams often move to stakeholder interviews to fill the gaps, or to a lotus blossom or brainwriting session to develop ideas from the strongest branches.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a mind map and a concept map?
A mind map grows from one central topic in a tree of branches. A concept map has no single centre: it links many ideas with labelled arrows that say how they relate, such as "causes" or "requires". Mind maps are quicker for exploring; concept maps are better for explaining how a system works.
Can a mind map be done in a group?
Yes. The best way is for each person to draw their own map for five to eight minutes, then merge them into one shared map. Drawing together from the start also works, but give one person the pen and ask the others to call out branches.
How many branches should a mind map have?
Four to seven main branches is usually enough to cover a topic without crowding. There is no limit on sub-branches, but if one branch grows much larger than the others, it may deserve its own map.
Tool card
The worksheet your team fills in, one box per field.
- Central topic
- Main branches
- Sub-branches
- Links
- Gaps and assumptions
- Explore next