# Mind map

> A diagram that begins with one central subject and branches outward into related ideas or parts.

## What it means

A diagram that grows outwards from one central idea; the term popularised by Tony Buzan ; mind map vs flowchart vs concept map; uses people search for (studying, planning an essay, scoping a project).

## A practical example

A research question branches into people, process and technology; each branch then grows into evidence and open questions.

## Put it into practice

- Name the concrete situation before applying the label. Mind map is useful only when it changes a choice, boundary or next action.
- Make the state visible: write the owner, time, source or stopping condition down instead of relying on memory.
- Review what happened. Keep the part that reduced ambiguity and change the part that added ceremony without helping the work.

## How it relates to Plexii

the Mind map widget — add branches yourself or with AI Expand, which uses your own Anthropic key, and turn any branch into a task or a canvas of its own (/help/widget-mind-map, /help/widget-requirements); the Brainstorm starter puts a mind map on a new desk (/help/desk-templates).