1. IS4445 Principles of Interaction Design Lecture 6: Mind Mapping
Rob Gleasure

2. Course structure Or more specifically Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: Empathise 1 (personas)
Week 3: Empathise 2 (empathy maps)
Week 4: Define 1 (journey maps)
Week 5: Define 2 (value curves)
Week 6: Ideate 1 (mind maps)
Week 7: Ideate 2 (6 hats)
Week 8: Prototyping 1 (storyboards)
Week 9: Prototyping 2 (wireframes)
Week 10: Test 1 (Testing cards)
Week 11: Test 2 (UX audits)
Week 12: Revision

3. IS4445 Today’s session Online discussion Mind maps What Why
How (a template)
When
Where
Mind mapping exercise

4. The next next impossible problem
We expanded our understanding of different users and journeys as far as possible. We then distilled it down to specific issues and opportunities
We must now expand again into imaginary future worlds using the content of our minds and what we’ve learned
We need to take a specific need and unpack it in as many directions as possible

5. How does creativity even work?
Creativity is the act of forming new things as hypotheticals or counterfactuals to current systems
Lots of views how this happens but there is a general consensus it involves two things
New associations are created
Old associations are destroyed
The outcome is a new blend and configuration of conceptual or material components

6. Structure vs. open-mindedness
The example of jazz
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7. Converging and diverging
Roughly two parts to creative thinking
Converging, i.e. unpacking a idea into a more detailed solution
Relies on linear thinking and logical forming of connections from one thing to another
Heavily reliant on working memory and concentration
Diverging, i.e. breaking from the current way of thinking in favour of some other framing
Relies on stepping back out of a flow of logical and allowing alternative connections to emerge
Reliant on ability to let go of current frames or forget train of thought

8. Feeling of Knowing
So how do we figure out whether we should be in converging or diverging mode?
Feeling of knowing refers to the sense we have an answer somewhere in our mind, we just need to find it
This is usually cue-dependent
We feel like the different parts of the problem are familiar, i.e. we don’t need to think about it differently, we just need to think it through

9. Power through or take a walk?
The presence or absence of feeling of knowing can direct creative strategies
Where feeling of knowing is high, concentration and perseverance is required to unpack the solution
No new contextual or creative cues are required
Where feeling of knowing is low, we need to let go of specific ideas so we can keep the flow of new ideas coming
We keep gathering contextual or creative cues
Beware the notebook of ideas!

10. What are mind maps
Mind maps are a technique used to generate and visualise multiple possible creative directions for a particular design problem
Individual trains of thought are expanded and unpacked in different directions
Images, keywords, and other memory cues are used to heighten associations and lower cognitive burden while maintaining creative momentum
Invested by Tony Buzan, who trademarked the term on behalf of the Buzan Organization

11. What is a mind map?
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12. Why mind maps
Mind maps help us to alternate between converging and diverging creative thinking for some key topic
A visual map is used to combine different elements on a single page, meaning associations are free to form between as many concepts as possible
This approach encourages the designer(s) to capture and develop sequential thinking, as well as tangents and passing insights

13. How to create mind maps (pt. 1)
Create a central idea around which to base your map, e.g. a new requirement from your value curve, or a persona you feel is at the heart of the new design
Create or find an image to mark that idea and place the image in the centre of a page
This should be something striking that demands attention and triggers associations
Ideally, you want something that represents the first thing that comes to your mind
Take your time to get the image right

14. How to create mind maps (pt. 2)
Add branches for different associations that come to mind
You don’t need to worry about how many – you can add more later – you just want to capture the first things that come to mind
A useful addition here is to colour each branch differently, e.g. use a blue pen, then switch to a green, then a red, etc.
This helps you focus on different ideas by keeping them visually consistent
Label each branch, using a single word or term that captures the essence of the idea

15. How to create mind maps (pt. 3)
Divide each branch into sub-branches for each new association they trigger
These don’t need to be hierarchical or symmetrical (though they can be, if it helps), they just need to represent associations that spring to mind
Don’t be afraid to hop between branches. You’re trying to capture what’s in your mind, not fight or control it

16. How to create mind maps (pt. 4)
Add an image for each branch and sub-branch
This should be something that jumps out and brings that idea crashing into your mind
This will be easier for some ideas than others but push yourself to come up with something
You may find yourself doodling a little here
This is fine, sometimes the white noise can create the mental silence necessary to let other ideas bubble to the surface

17. An example of a mind map
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18. Another example of a mind map
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19. And another example of a mind map
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20. When to use mind maps?
Mind maps are used during ideating to transform goals into more detailed and actionable approaches
Mind maps are also often revisited during prototyping and testing, as they help to clarify how emerging insights in those stages relate to previous ideas

21. Where to use mind maps
Mind maps are used for individual thinking as well as collective ideation
Whiteboards are amazing for trying to get all of your initial ideas together in one place
Remember the four basic rules of brainstorming
Quantity, quantity, quantity
No criticism
Encourage wild ideas
Combine and extend ideas

22. Building your report
Pick a new quality you want to introduce from your value curve, or failing that, an opportunity from your journey maps, or failing that, a persona you believe is key
Create a visual representation of that quality, opportunity, or persona in the centre of your page
Create branches out of that central visualisation for each association that comes to mind
Create sub-branches for each new association springing from the former
Don’t be afraid to hop around and keep doodling as you go
Add a keyword at the end of each trail of branches summarising the outermost idea
Where one of those ideas is particularly interesting, don’t be afraid to create a new mind map with that idea at the centre

23. Reading Ted Talk by Tony Buzan
Fredrickson, B. L. (2004). The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 359(1449): 1367–1378.
Ted Talk by Charles Limb
Interaction Design Foundation: The Basics of User Experience Design (