Mindmaps

A mind map is a way of presenting, exploring and organising ideas visually.

Why make a mindmap?

Mndmaps are used at the start of a project to explore ideas. They can help you think of interesting and creative ideas for your project as well as make connections between ideas that you can use later on.

The point of a mindmap is to explore as many possible ideas, in as many different directions as you can. Try not to narrow down your ideas, or rule anything out at this early stage. Consider every idea and related thought.

What could I write?

Many students choose to start by writing out the words of their mindmap on scrap paper. If you are not sure what to write this can be a good option.

One useful starting point is word association. Try to think of any words related to your theme and then try to think of words related to those.

For example if your theme was 'Nature' you might first associate 'Plants' with nature, and then next you might associate 'Seeds', 'Ferns' or 'Trees' with plants and then you might consider ideas related to these. 'Seeds' could lead to seed packaging, Ferns might lead to plant books, Trees might lead to an environmental campaign poster.

Other useful starting points include:

definitions of your theme (or other keywords)
possible products or design outcomes
artists or designers who link to your theme
moods, feelings, or adjectives linked to your theme
cultural references or real-world examples

You do not need to include everything — but you should aim to show a range of ideas rather than repeating the same type of thinking.

How should I present it?

Your mindmap is often the first thing the examiner sees when marking your work, so it is worth putting a little extra effort into its presentation.

Mindmaps are typically presented with the theme in the middle and ideas arranged around it. However, this is a visual course so we want to go further than a basic spider diagram. Ideally, you will present it in a way that represents your theme or what interests you.

Some good approaches I've seen in the past include:

Illustrated Mindmaps
sketches/doodles to accompany or explain the ideas
Artwork Mindmaps
Presenting the mindmap as a piece of design (for example, a map or book cover design)
Collaged Mindmaps
Combine your mindmap and moodboard by glueing found objects, images or bits of newspaper into the mindmap
Word Clouds
Digital Mindmaps
PowerPoint, Illustrator or a drawing tablet can be great for this.
Lists
For some themes, a list might be the most appropriate - make sure you include lots of ideas though.

What makes a good mindmap?

A good mindmap should explain your theme clearly, whilst also demonstrating your creativity and your ability to make connections.

Strong mindmaps often:

explore a wide range of different ideas about a theme
explore some of those ideas in detail/depth
show connections between ideas
are visually interesting (the wow factor)

Weaker mind maps generally stick to just one interpretation of a theme or don't develop ideas beyond a few simple words.

If you are stuck

If you are not sure where to start or you don't feel confident in what you are doing start by writing your mindmap on scrap paper to take the pressure off.

A good place to begin is the definition of your theme. Google it, then write it down. Next start by asking a few people around you what words they think of that are related to your theme.

You can try:

Breaking your theme down into simpler related words
Thinking of objects or products related to your theme
Searching related words on the internet

If you are really struggling at this stage, it might be worth rethinking your theme.

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