TOOL:  MIND MAPS

CHALLENGE AND SELECTION

A mind map is a tool for the brain that captures the thinking that goes on inside our head. Mind  mapping helps us to think, collect knowledge, remember and create ideas.

Mostly people forget things taught in the traditional manner but remember better when there are  visuals, pictures and colours involved. Research shows that people who use colour and images in  their imagination, when they are learning, are better in remembering than those who don’t.

So, in order to successfully face the challenge of capturing the ideas, I recommend the use of mind  maps.

APPLICATION

The students were asked to make groups of 4 members and were given the choice to select any  topic on which they would like to make a mind map.

They selected variety of topics like types of addiction, types of media, various travel essentials etc.

After designing the mind maps, they were asked some simple questions related to what they drew in  order to check the thought behind each key word. Also, their answers revealed how effectively their  brain retained information stored in the form of pictures and visuals.

INSIGHT AND APPROACH

Visualize the problem • Create ideas quickly • Create holistic picture of the problem

Above mentioned are the uses of mind maps which certainly are a great help in capturing the ideas.

The three simple steps to solve any problem are as follows:

Step 1: Write down the main idea/problem at the centre of the page.

Step 2: Write down major sub-topics related to the main idea/problem branched off from it.

Step 3: Add details to your sub-topics. The third step can be repeated as many times as required.

Just by following these we can improve productivity, ignite creativity, make complex things easier  and improve retention.

Hence, in my opinion a mind map is a very important and powerful tool required to encourage  design thinking.

