MindManager provides a rich set of features to create meaningful illustrations of your ideas, plans, and strategies. Each individual’s mind map is a unique reflection of their interpretation of the world, colored by their own experiences, insights, and style. And while everyone’s output may vary, the maps are built using the following ten basic elements:
- Central topic: typically the key theme or title of your map
- Main topic: main ideas that define the topic
- Subtopic: details about the main topics
- Callout topic: supplementary information about a specific topic
- Floating topic: additional general information about the topic; sometimes used as a parking lot for uncategorized ideas
- Relationship arrows: visually link related topics
- Boundaries: highlight branches within your map
- Markers: Icon (and text) tags that allow you to code your map topics
- Notes: store additional details about your central, main, or subtopic
- Hyperlinks and attachments: link to web sites, other topics, and files directly from your topics
Beyond the basic elements, there are many ways to personalize your map’s appearance. Start looking at how you are using fonts, adding images, and leveraging colors.
About the Author: Michael Deutch is Mindjet’s Chief Evangelist, content contributor for the Mindjet Blog and the Mindjet Connections newsletter. Get more from Michael on Twitter.
