What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Mind Maps?

Mind maps are prevalent tools in many different fields including education and project management. Some people have questioned whether mind maps are so good as it is propagandized. As the old saying goes,” Every coin has two sides”. Mind maps have been pit into a conpamy . Here’s an analysis of advantages and disadvantages of mind maps.

Advantages of Mind Maps

Wide Adaptability

As is known to all that mind maps grow from a central topic and develop in a radiant structure, organizing relevant ideas in a creative and visualized map. The human brain works exactly the way how a mind map grows, thus allowing mind maps to be used in many occasions involving learning and arrangement, such as preparing an exam, taking notes, making a book summary, planning things and organizing structured tasks, etc.

Convenient Editing

Comparing with traditional linear texts on notebooks, a mind map can theoretically develop into unlimited branches and levels in the structure. For this reason, it’s easy and convenient to add ideas and information at any time later rather than squeezing texts into margins of the paper with messily distributed lines and arrows.

Enhance Memory

In addition to the radiant structure, the mapper can use images and symbols to his map as he likes. These personalized elements are prone to make things easier to memorize.

Get People Focused

When you read a book, the texts are displayed line by line. However, things are different in the layout of a mind map, they delve from hypernym into hyponym. Such a structure help you focus on the links and relationships between ideas. In this case, you get comprehensive information instead of scattered facts.

Concise Information

Since the topic texts of mind maps are keywords and short phrases that can conclude the content of the corresponding idea, mind maps are a great aid in condensing plenty of information. For example, when you are preparing the final exam, it is much more time-saving to review knowledge on a mind map than read the whole book.

• Created by the free mind mapping tool Edraw MindMaster

Disadvantages of Mind Maps

Texts Limitation

As has mentioned above, mind map topic texts consist of keywords and short phrases which limit the number of texts you want to put in. On a hand-drawn mind map, large chunks of text will make the map look messy. However, if you choose to use a mind map tool, it’s no longer a problem. You can insert notes, tags, comments, attachments, and hyperlinks to add more information without displaying them.

Time-consuming (Sometimes)

If you need to make a delicate mind map with excellent pictures and accompanying texts, it may take some time. However, such mind maps work well in helping you review and recall information and will check your understanding. 

Follow Rules

Once you choose to draw mind maps with mind mapping software, you are not able to freestyle your map. The way software works follow certain rules, such as the layout, font, and theme are predefined. You are not allowed to develop the map as free as you can on paper.

Balance the advantages of mind maps with the disadvantages and make proper use of mind map software. You are sure to make beautiful and professional mind maps.