Today we will talk about
associated mind mapping. But before that, lets do some recall on last week topic.
Our brain does not work in linearity but in random manner as we store information randomly. For example apple, we may store "a" randomly in brain as well as "p" and other alphabets thus by connecting them will form "apple". This is why we should use mind map as much as possible as it works similar to our brain. A logical mind map is used when we are gathering information, knowing better of the subject and note taking as everything in logical mind map is generally related to the subject but not brain storming for idea generating. Before we start our mind map we should do some research so that there is information stored in our brain and when we do a mind map, the key words will recall the information. (So that our mind has things to find)
Mr. Radzi Bedu has
demystified that our brain is designed to think! Quite surprise to hear that right?
But he said, our brain is to organize information. We hardly think at all the time but follow our daily routine. Just an example, when we wake up, we wake up and we don't think "should I wake up now or shouldn't I"
then when we brush our teeth, we just brush them we don't question. His point is, if human think at all the time we will keep questioning things and the truth is we don't! If so, it will make us inhuman!
Alright, as a designer we must be creative in our idea. To achieve that we should avoid generating idea using stereotype (we should find idea which is not in our brain, in other words new idea). Logical mind mapping is not efficient for us as it is all about stereotype, thus
we need associated mind mapping. An associated mind map is a mind map that try to get away from the subject until there is no relationship with it.
To make it clear lets see the differences between a logical mind map and associated mind map of tree.
Logical mind map
Associated mind map
As you can see the idea generated by using a logical mind map is related to the subject but not with associated mind map. Notice that in the associated mind map superman has nothing to do with the tree. Thus by thinking how we can use superman to describe tree we will create creative idea.
To draw an associated mind map, put the subject in the middle, then written down the first things you thought of the subject. Keep on doing that as you develop the mind map branches. For example, when I think of tree i think of roots, then when I think of the roots I think of strong roots, when I think of strong I think of superman. By doing this in a mind map, it will help us to control our idea as we are choosing what was generated within the mind map.
Always choose the key words that are not related to the subject (the further the better as closer to the subject may still has certain relationship with it). The key words are to help generate a new concept and from that concept to new idea.
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