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Mind mapping vs. Venn diagrams
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Posted by Dr Andus
May 22, 2012 at 03:50 PM
Usually when we do mind mapping (or even outlining), we start from a general topic and break it down to multiple sub-topics and sub-sub-topics etc. that are increasingly more specific. However, this process is limited because it only allows you to operate within the realm of the original general topic.
But what if you wanted to do mind mapping where you are trying to establish the intersecting areas of multiple general topics (something similar to what a Venn diagram does)? Mind mapping software don’t seem to be equipped for that.
Are there any tools that can do that? One practical application for that would be the identification of an interdisciplinary research area, which would emerge at the intersection of multiple literatures and sub-domains. One could use a Venn diagram but it can get awfully messy and busy, especially if drawn by hand.
It would be nice to have a different type of visualisation. E.g. a pyramid where the lower layers are wider and more general, and the specific intersecting topic emerges at the top (with lines connecting to the underlying more general building blocks of the pyramid). Or a mind map that allows for multiple general topics and also allows for the intersecting of their more specific branches (sounds complicated).
Posted by CRC
May 22, 2012 at 04:24 PM
Dr Andus:
Some ideas for representations might be found here: http://www.visual-literacy.org/periodic_table/periodic_table.html (I have always found this a great resource to come up with new ways of representing ideas).
You are really thinking a graph structure rather than the hierarchy of mind maps. One approach might be to use concept maps. I also tried to use “The Brain” for something very like this but actually found the Venn diagram to be much more expressive. If there are a fairly large number of items at the intersections the graph becomes more distracting than illuminating - even with the brain approach to zooming and moving around. I also played with some of the two and three dimensional graphing tools and didn’t find them satisfactory either.
For what you are describing a tool that allowed the brain type of navigation (zooming, moving) but with a Venn diagram representation might be ideal, particularly if the same item appears in different intersections. I haven’t heard of such a thing but it might be an interesting challenge to create one….
Just some thoughts.
Charles
Posted by Dr Andus
May 22, 2012 at 05:21 PM
CRC wrote:
>Dr Andus:
>
> Some ideas for representations might be found here:
>http://www.visual-literacy.org/periodic_table/periodic_table.html (I have
>always found this a great resource to come up with new ways of representing ideas).
Neat resource! That will keep me out of trouble for a while…
>You are really thinking a graph structure rather than the hierarchy of mind maps.
Yes but I would like to retain the mind map functionality of going from the general to the increasingly more specific. As you suggest below, zooming and moving around in a complex Venn diagram could do the trick, as long as one can create and overlay smaller and more specific areas.
>One
>approach might be to use concept maps.
I do use a lot of concept maps (most recently in VUE) but because usually you are pursuing a single line of inquiry in a given flow chart, it doesn’t prompt the issue of possible overlapping of concepts.
I also tried to use “The Brain” for something
>very like this but actually found the Venn diagram to be much more expressive. If there
>are a fairly large number of items at the intersections the graph becomes more
>distracting than illuminating - even with the brain approach to zooming and moving
>around. I also played with some of the two and three dimensional graphing tools and
>didn’t find them satisfactory either.
>
> For what you are describing a tool that
>allowed the brain type of navigation (zooming, moving) but with a Venn diagram
>representation might be ideal, particularly if the same item appears in different
>intersections. I haven’t heard of such a thing but it might be an interesting
>challenge to create one….
Yes, that would be interesting.
Posted by Alexander Deliyannis
May 22, 2012 at 08:09 PM
Dr Andus wrote:
>But what if you wanted to do mind
>mapping where you are trying to establish the intersecting areas of multiple general
>topics (something similar to what a Venn diagram does)? Mind mapping software don’t
>seem to be equipped for that.
The only tool I can think of is Frieve Editor http://www.frieve.com/feditor/index.html (English page still pending http://www.frieve.com/english/feditor/index.html) mentioned by Lucas here http://www.outlinersoftware.com/messages/viewm/10774
Another (no longer developed) is Visual Concepts http://www.visual-concept.co.uk/ which is like a hexagonal version of Microsoft’s Sticky Sorter. However, as far as I understand, these tools don’t allow for the same items to belong to more than one group.
Leaving the visual aspect aside, I would note that you can accomplish the same data management effect with Tags in most programs.
Keeping the visual aspect and leaving the data management aspect aside, you could use just about any object-oriented drawing program like ConceptDraw, SmartDraw etc.
Posted by Dr Andus
May 22, 2012 at 10:15 PM
Alexander Deliyannis wrote:
>The only tool I can think of is Frieve Editor
>http://www.frieve.com/feditor/index.html (English page still pending
>http://www.frieve.com/english/feditor/index.html) mentioned by Lucas here
>http://www.outlinersoftware.com/messages/viewm/10774
Frieve does look interesting.
>Leaving
>the visual aspect aside, I would note that you can accomplish the same data management
>effect with Tags in most programs.
>
>Keeping the visual aspect and leaving the data
>management aspect aside, you could use just about any object-oriented drawing
>program like ConceptDraw, SmartDraw etc.
The thing is I’d need this not for data management but for brainstorming. I actually tried SmartDraw for this purpose and it’s too slow. It’s really for presenting finished ideas, rather than brainstorming.
Anyway, so it sounds like there is a gap in the market for a brainstorming application that uses Venn diagrams? (A market of one at least…:)