Draw and label the first branches. Simply draw a line for each major sub-category of the topic that extends from the circled topic and label it with a word, very short phrase or image. Don’t use abbreviations. So AIRPORTS and PILOTS. All lines or branches should connect in a mind map, and the first branches should be the thickest.
Each word or image used in a mind map must be on its own line.[21]
Use images, photos and drawings wherever possible.
For instance, you could draw a stop sign next to a branch with a negative sub-category (airports, generally) or a bright yellow plus sign by something positive (pilots, generally).
Use arrows, other symbols, spacing and so forth to connect images and produce an “image-rich network,” which Buzan says is the essence of a mind map.[22]