Mind Mapping

Challenge    I am working on a city-guide project in Minsk. This is not a very big city, where there are  many institutions for events, but at the moment the choice of a specific place for a party or  meeting with friends is quite complicated. Large-scale events are tied to event organizers  who are used to using personal contacts and rarely offer new places to customers, small  events are usually accompanied by difficult choice of location.  I need to learn how to help people choose a place for an event and invite them to choose  according to those criteria that are important.    Selection    Mind Mapping is a tool for visual display of information that allows you to effectively structure  and process it. An intelligence card is a tree diagram that depicts words, ideas, tasks, or  other concepts connected by branches extending from a central concept or idea. Branches  in the form of smooth lines are indicated and explained by keywords or images. To  understand what is important to users, when choosing a venue for the event, many surveys  were conducted, but the structuring of information in the form of tables or lists was not so  intuitive. Mind Mapping allows in the form of interconnected elements to highlight the main  thing, to get a structure of information more understandable for generating ideas.    Application    To understand the problem and find a solution, interviews were conducted with two parties to  the process of organizing events: cafes and restaurants and their customers. The entire  amount of information was originally a table that needed to be processed, to find patterns  and repeating elements. Each side answered questions and it seemed that there was a lot of  information, but the mind maps made it possible to build answer maps  - separately for cafes  and restaurants, separately for customers.  In the course of our work, we focused on understanding which nodes in the maps are most  important for each side, we use the selection of nodes, expanding them to deeper  explanations and details. The general structuring from important to details gave a complete  picture of past interviews for further work.  When the intelligence cards for the interview were ready and we got a point of view on the  problem for both segments of the problem of finding a place for an event, we proceeded to  the second stage - what if and it also used intelligence cards.  The problems of each segment were identified: for cafes and restaurants - getting new  customers who will be suitable for this place and for customers - finding a place by important  characteristics. The mind map at the previous stage made it possible to highlight the  characteristics that are important, in our city it is the presence of a separate or semi-separate  room for an event, a cuisine, the presence of music and (for small events) the number of  seats at one table.

When searching for a solution, we worked through various ideas that were added to the  second intellect map as we worked through and came to the conclusion that creating a  catalog with important characteristics found would help make the process of finding a place  for an event more convenient.    Insight    Using mind mapping and design of thinking allowed us to consider the problem from all  sides, to hear both sides and to show empathy for their problems. The most interesting facts  obtained during the work was that people are not ready to make the final reservation of a  place through any services, but it is important for them to quickly and simply find the filtered  information and see a lot of options. People do not want to make decisions relying solely on  technology, but they want to use them when choosing an institution in the initial stages.  Design thinking helped to create exactly what was needed at this stage of industry  development in our city and at the same time gave information that can be used in the  future.    Approach    Next time when using mind maps, I would like to more accurately combine nodes, use more  images and visual elements, because in the course of work on the current task, mind maps  were rather restrained. Perhaps a more creative approach to creating them would give more  good ideas.


Mind Mapping Challenge I am working on a city - guide project in Minsk . This is not a very big city , where there are many institutions for events , but at the moment the choice of a specific place for a party or meeting with friends is quite complicated . Large - scale events are tied to event organizers who are used to using personal contacts and rarely offer new places to customers , small events are usually accompanied by difficult choice of location . I need to learn how to help people choose a place for an event and invite them to choose according to those criteria that are important . Selection Mind Mapping is a tool for visual display of information that allows you to effectively structure and process it . An intelligence card is a tree diagram that depicts words , ideas , tasks , or other concepts connected by branches extending from a central concept or idea . Branches in the form of smooth lines are indicated and explained by keywords or images . To understand what is important to users , when choosing a venue for the event , many surveys were conducted , but the structuring of information in the form of tables or lists was not so intuitive . Mind Mapping allows in the form of interconnected elements to highlight the main thing , to get a structure of information more understandable for generating ideas . Application To understand the problem and find a solution , interviews were conducted with two parties to the process of organizing events : cafes and restaurants and their customers . The entire amount of information was originally a table that needed to be processed , to find patterns and repeating elements . Each side answered questions and it seemed that there was a lot of information , but the mind maps made it possible to build answer maps - separately for cafes and restaurants , separately for customers . In the course of our work , we focused on understanding which nodes in the maps are most important for each side , we use the selection of nodes , expanding them to deeper explanations and details . The general structuring from important to details gave a complete picture of past interviews for further work . When the intelligence cards for the interview were ready and we got a point of view on the problem for both segments of the problem of finding a place for an event , we proceeded to the second stage - what if and it also used intelligence cards . The problems of each segment were identified : for cafes and restaurants - getting new customers who will be suitable for this place and for customers - finding a place by important characteristics . The mind map at the previous stage made it possible to highlight the characteristics that are important , in our city it is the presence of a separate or semi - separate room for an event , a cuisine , the presence of music and ( for small events ) the number of seats at one table . When searching for a solution , we worked through various ideas that were added to the second intellect map as we worked through and came to the conclusion that creating a catalog with important characteristics found would help make the process of finding a place for an event more convenient . Insight Using mind mapping and design of thinking allowed us to consider the problem from all sides , to hear both sides and to show empathy for their problems . The most interesting facts obtained during the work was that people are not ready to make the final reservation of a place through any services , but it is important for them to quickly and simply find the filtered information and see a lot of options . People do not want to make decisions relying solely on technology , but they want to use them when choosing an institution in the initial stages . Design thinking helped to create exactly what was needed at this stage of industry development in our city and at the same time gave information that can be used in the future . Approach Next time when using mind maps , I would like to more accurately combine nodes , use more images and visual elements , because in the course of work on the current task , mind maps were rather restrained . Perhaps a more creative approach to creating them would give more good ideas .