Overview
Mindmup gives you a flexible space to capture ideas as they come to you, expand on them, and organize them into a clearer structure.
A typical brainstorming workflow is:
Start with a central idea → capture ideas quickly → expand related ideas → organize and group them → review and refine the map.
You don't need to decide on the perfect structure at the beginning. The goal of the first stage is to get your ideas onto the map. You can organize and restructure them once you've captured enough ideas.
1. Start with a central idea
Create a new map and begin with a root node that describes the problem, question, topic, or goal you want to explore.
For example:
Ideas for our next team project
This gives your brainstorm a clear starting point. You can then add your first ideas as child nodes.
Select the root node and click the + button to add a child. As more ideas come to you, you can add additional child or sibling nodes.
2. Capture ideas as they come to you
During the initial brainstorming stage, focus on capturing ideas rather than organizing them.
Add each idea as a node. Don't worry if the structure becomes messy or some ideas seem to be in the wrong place. You can move them later.
Use:
- Child nodes when an idea leads to a more specific or related idea.
- Sibling nodes when you want to add another idea at the same level.
- Undo and Redo when experimenting with the structure.
- The node's Actions menu when you need to add related nodes or perform other actions.
The important thing at this stage is to keep the ideas flowing instead of interrupting the brainstorming process to perfect the map.
3. Expand promising ideas
Once you've captured some initial ideas, expand the ones that need more exploration.
For example, if your brainstorm includes:
New marketing campaign
You might add:
- Social media
- Email campaign
- Partnerships
Then expand one of those ideas further:
Social media
→ Short-form videos
→ User-generated content
→ Influencer partnerships
This lets you explore an idea at different levels without having to plan the entire structure in advance.
4. Organize and group related ideas
After you've captured enough ideas, start looking for patterns and relationships.
Move related nodes into appropriate branches and reorganize the hierarchy as your thinking becomes clearer. You can also select several nodes together when working with a group of related ideas.
If two ideas are related but don't naturally belong in the same branch, use Add connection to show their relationship rather than forcing one idea into the other's hierarchy.
This is the point where a rough brainstorm can start becoming a more structured map.
5. Add context where needed
Not every thought needs to become part of the main hierarchy.
Use Notes to keep additional information with a node. You can also add images, files, links, or sticky notes when they help explain or support an idea.
This keeps the main map focused while preserving useful details.
6. Let Auto layout organize the map
Auto layout is enabled by default, so Mindmup automatically arranges topics as you add and edit them. This helps keep a growing brainstorm organized without requiring you to manually position every node.
If you want to arrange topics yourself, you can turn Auto layout off. Just right-click the canvas and uncheck Auto layout.
Once Auto layout is off, you can manually reposition topics as needed.
Auto layout is especially useful when a brainstorm grows into a large or complex map and you want to keep the structure easy to follow.
7. Review and refine the brainstorm
When you've finished the initial brainstorming stage, step back and review the map as a whole.
Look for:
- Repeated or duplicate ideas
- Related ideas that should be grouped together
- Ideas that need further development
- Relationships that aren't obvious from the hierarchy
- Gaps or areas that need more exploration
You can fold branches you're not currently reviewing, zoom to see the overall map, or select groups of nodes to work through related ideas.
At this stage, move ideas into a clearer hierarchy and refine the structure based on what you've discovered during the brainstorm.
Example use cases
- Brainstorming project ideas
Start with the project goal as the root node. Capture possible approaches as they come to mind, expand promising ideas, then group related approaches into a clearer structure.
- Planning a lesson or presentation
Put the main subject in the root node and brainstorm key themes, activities, examples, and discussion points. Once you've captured the material, organize it into a logical sequence.
- Generating content ideas
Use a central topic as the starting point. Add possible subjects, angles, questions, and related ideas without worrying about the final content structure. Later, group similar ideas and identify themes worth developing.
- Solving a problem
Start with the problem, then capture possible causes, solutions, constraints, and questions. As the brainstorm develops, organize related ideas and use connections to show relationships that don't fit neatly into the main hierarchy.
Tips
- Separate brainstorming from organizing
Don't try to create a perfect structure while you're generating ideas. Capture first, then organize once you have enough material to see patterns.
- Use short node titles
Keep the main node text brief so you can scan the map easily. Put longer explanations in Notes instead.
- Use the hierarchy for groups and connections for relationships
Use branches to show that one idea belongs under another. Use connections when two ideas are related but belong to different branches.
- Review the whole map before refining it
Zoom out after the initial brainstorm and look at the overall structure. This can help you spot repeated ideas, missing relationships, or areas that need more attention.
Related features
- How to Add Topics
- How to Move, Rearrange, Nest, Copy and Paste Topics
- How to Select Topics
- How to Fold and Unfold Topics
- How to Use Auto Layout
- How to Add Notes
- How to Add Sticky Notes
- How to Connect Topics
- How to Add Images
- How to Attach Files
Ready to brainstorm? Start with one idea, question, or problem as your root node. Capture ideas as they come to you, expand promising ones, and organize the map once you've generated enough ideas to see the bigger picture.