What is the Benefit of Colored Branches? Idea Map #92 and Hint #20

On Wednesday, March 5, 2008 I introduced you to Jay Dugger -- long-time mind mapper. The purpose of this posting is two-fold. First, the full version jpg of Jay's map titled "Mapping" is now available above and in pdf format at my website under "Additional Maps". If you click on any column it will sort alphabetically by author or title of the map. Secondly, I promised to address the issue of line color. That will be today's Hint #20.

Keep in mind these are not rules that need to be followed, just helpful hint that can be applied depending on your purpose.

1. The branches surrounding the central image are sometimes thicker to show that they are a main thought.
2. Let's say you have one branch that is red along with all sub branches that attach to it in any way. The ideas are now connected in two ways -- both physically and visually.
3. If each main branch (and associated sub branches) is a different it makes the branches stand out from each other.

These three hints all blend together for one purpose -- improved memory and interest. Take a look at any map that uses all black branches and words. They are rather boring, but again it's the purpose of the map that will drive these decisions.

A Map Titled "Mapping" - Idea Map #91

A while back Jay Dugger was asking about the significance of the various line colors in some of the maps on this blog. I'll address the theory and benefits to this in the next posting. Meantime, Jay has contributed an idea map he calls, "Mapping." I'll let Jay explain this map (created using FreeMind) in his own words:

"I use "Mapping" to collect my ideas about mind mapping techniques. I use mind maps to manage projects, tasks, and actions. This works well, but I was spending a great deal of time replicating similar and recurring events and tasks. So I wrote a boilerplate to give my map a recurring visual structure for the branches that described similar events and tasks. "Mapping" began as a map that stored boilerplate branches. I accumulated other conventions (symbols, colors, clouds, typography) in my maps over time. I recorded what they signified on "Mapping." Eventually I compared my mind map use with that of other people. When I wanted to adopt or test a method or an idea, I recorded it in "Mapping. The use of line thickness and color from "It's Not About the Coffee" (the February 9, 2008 posting in this blog) "Mapping" so I have a place to remind myself to test using line color and thickness, and so I have a place to record its results. I will probably try replacing the colored clouds I use to show past, present, and future with line colors. I expect this will reduce a map's visual clutter by using fewer pixels to signify the same ideas."

The above map has the other branches "shrunk". Jay's original map can be found on Flickr, and current versions on Mappio and FreeMindShare. If I can get a pdf of the entire map from Jay, I'll put it on my website so that you can see the entire map.