This document discusses the history and use of mind mapping, particularly in France. It provides context that mind mapping has existed in various forms for centuries under different names. It then outlines some common uses of modern mind mapping in business, education, and general note-taking. Finally, it details seven design rules for effective cross-cultural mind mapping according to a French school of heuristics, including using color, central themes, branches, words, images, and paper layout to visually connect ideas.

1. A French Exception:
Mind-mapping in the cyberspatial
dimension
Katherine Watson, Coastline Distance Learning
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2. A French exception: Mind-mapping history
It’s older than you may think! Age depends upon definition:
• Porphyry’s “trees”
• Llull’s “discs”
• Novak’s “concept maps”
• Buzan’s “mind maps”
• Le Bihan’s “schémas heuristiques”
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3. A French exception: Mind-mapping in
diverse dimensions
• Common modern uses of mind-mapping à la
Tony Buzan
– Business plans
– Web designs and their purpose(s)
– Note-taking in class
– Meetings, discussions
– Quick, efficient information review
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4. A French exception: Mind-mapping
in a new dimension
• French ways of reasoning: Good for mind-
mapping!
– Vermicular v. top-down linear
– Multiple branches, transdisciplinarity
– Inviting to interrogation
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5. A French exception: Mind-mapping
General process: Physical manifestation of ideas—
Five Buzan “rules” for mind-mapping
• Start with blank piece of paper
• Lay paper landscape-style
• Start in the center, drawing an image of your own
choosing, representing your main idea/topic
• Think up key words related to central topic; write
these around the main topics; these are ―nodes‖
• Draw lines or arrows in color, showing
connections between ideas
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6. A French exception: Mind-mapping
• General process across cultures and
across disciplines: Two-dimensionalizing
the three-dimensional
– Imagine your idea three-dimensionally
– Imagine organically, adding new branches
– Follow cross-cultural design standards
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7. A French exception: Mind maps
• 7 cross-cultural design rules from L’Ecole française de l’heuristique:
– Paper layout: Blank, white paper in landscape format: Frédéric LeBihan,
of the EFH notes ―we take greater advantage of the breadth of the visual
field than of its height.‖
– Drawing/writing implements: Color is important; black pens or crayons are
ok, as long as enough color appears elsewhere.
– ―Core‖: Central idea in the middle of the paper, expressed in one word, if
possible. This is the theme, the ―trigger‖ to logical association
– ―Branches‖: Lines emanating from the core organically, ―inspired from
nature‖
– Words: Chosen for evocative tone; written clearly by hand, a single word
on a branch for simplicity and clarity, again serving as associative triggers
– Images: To be treated as pictograms, but may be photos; ―there is no
need to be an artist in all this; simplicity and evocativity are important‖.
– Color: Primary colors and black most apparent, though colors expressing
the mind-mapper’s emotional connection to the topic might act as memory
triggers; color helps readability, also stimulating the right cerebral
hemisphere in a logical map created by the left side of the brain.
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8. A French exception: Mind maps
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9. A French exception: Mind mapping
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10. A French exception: mind maps in
diverse disciplines
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11. Mind maps in the USA & Francophone
countries differ by design: First, USA…
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12. France:
créativité
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13. A French Exception: Mind maps across
disciplinary dimensions!
• French maps use harmonious colors, words
• French maps unite ideas
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14. Mind maps: Why and how?
• Use the logic of associations, not of time
• Use images for creative thinking and memory
• Use color,dimension
• Use synesthesia
• Provoke good
brainstorms
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