Mind Maps for Graphic Design
What is a Mind Map?
A mind map consists of thoughts ideas names words and images that all stem from one central idea or word in the form of a diagram. It is a common way for designers to generate ideas. The loose visual manner of a mind map frees creativity of a designer and can prove a great way to communicate with clients etc. especially during the design concept or first stage of the design process. Each point from a mind map can sprout into several other branches that may be relevant to the first branch being the initial thought.
- Everything stems from a thought
- Every thought is a word
- Every idea is a thought
- Every word could be a potential idea
- Every image is a potential idea
- Good thoughts come after bad thoughts stop
- You brain is more effective when you stop over thinking
- Patience allows time for ideas to evolve
- Preconceived notions only breed preconceived ideas
Mind maps work well to illustrate and demonstrate you as a designer can combine contexts such as combining culture and social contexts. A mind map could be used by identifying the mind maps main branches as used to define a client brief. This creates an intricate but easy to read visual embodiment of all design aspects necessary to encompass. Unlike other methods of brainstorming mind maps enable us to think holistically about a problem and tackle it from all sides. Although using more than one brainstorming technique may be helpful during the idea stage of the design process. Mind maps can be hand drawn or written but can also be created digitally by modern technology and developments of apps can also prove useful e.g. ZeptoPad Brainstorming app enables you to create a brainstorm using your iPhone.
Example Mind Map
"Oprah magazine featured an article The Mind Map: “Six Steps to Get Your Creativity Flowing” on the role of mind mapping and idea generation techniques. In this article Oprah states:
Forget Making a List! Lists often come from the organised, analytical left side of your brain, and to solve an intractable problem, you want to engage the right, the creative side. Make a mind map instead. Get a big piece of paper and start in the centre with a circle that contains the original problem. Write different solutions, and follow paths outward on the page, limb by limb, pushing beyond the obvious. To plan a party, for example, I put “A great dinner party for friends” in the middle, and among the many branches, one went: “Make your own sundaes → mashed potatoes → have dessert first → sit on floor → indoor picnic.” Another branch went: “Progressive dinner → go to a different restaurant for dessert(s) → show up at friends’ houses uninvited → scavenger hunt to find food.” A third: “Teach something → learn something → juggling → magic trick → expert invitee on food/wine.” Your to-do list will just get you from point A to B."
(Blog : The Graphic Design School : www.thegraphicdesignschool.com)
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