How to Draw a Concept Map

You begin drawing a concept map by drawing and naming an important element in the situation you are considering - enter a short descriptive phrase that given the context or implication of what you are thinking about. Ideally, it should be the central idea you are trying to explore, or the central thing you are trying to accomplish, or the main problem you are trying to solve.

You then develop a concept map by adding other elements that are related to the central idea, with arrows between the elements, showing the relation between any two elements.

Relations can be sequential, as in:
Element A happens before Element B.

Relations can also be compositional, as in:
Element A is composed of Element C and Element D.

Relations could even be metaphoric, as in :
Element A reminds me of Element E.

The arrows indicate what you believe the important associations among the elements, concepts, ideas or desires in your drawing. The arrows explain how the parts of your drawing fit together in your own mind. Each idea or element you add to your concept map will suggest other ideas or elements and relationships associated with it.

Let’s take a simple example of planning a trip. As shown below, all sorts of elements associated with planning a trip come to mind, and a concept map lets us relate them all together and consider them in one whole image. As we look at it, we think of things we have forgotten, or the elements in the map remind of new things we should include in our planning.

A concept map is a very simple form of idea, and can also be shown as on outline, with a main topic and many subtopics, each of which can have their own subtopics.

Main Topic -- Plan a trip

Subtopic 1 -- Need to book travel

Item 1-A -- Could take a bus

Item 1-B -- Could drive

Item 1-C -- Could search for cheap airfare

Subtopic 2 -- Need a place to stay

Item 2-A -- Contact friends

Item 2-B -- Find a campground

Etc. --

A concept map is good for creative exploration of an issue, letting your mind roam free and making whatever associations among ideas that occur to you. It is a kind of drawing that lets you explore an issue without the constraint of being strictly logical. The elements in your drawing can be anything you want, and the arrows can express almost any association you can make between them. An arrow might mean “is similar to" or "Precedes" or "is Composed of" or "implies", or any other relation among ideas that you belive to be the case.

Concept maps are the best place to start when you are just beginning to do visual thinking with MindDraw™. They are helpful if you are considering questions such as “what courses should I take in school?”, or “how can I make extra money?”. Both of these are open-ended questions in which a large number of different considerations should be brought together as you struggle to think through a complex question.