Using Visual Mind Mapping to Plan Sightseeing Expeditions
When going on vacation, most people find it important to make sure they see all of the sights and attractions famously associated with where they are visiting. Unless one can afford to hire a tour guide, doing so can be a bit overwhelming; how does one manage to organize his or her trip in a way that allows him or her to hit every tourist’s spot, yet still have time to enjoy the vacation? Vacationers faced with this dilemma might consider Visual Mind Mapping to help them organize their holiday plans. With a Visual Mind Map, vacationers can “map out” all the sites and attractions they want to visit in one intuitive and spatially constructed map diagram. In constructing this diagram, vacationers can make use of visual images and colors to help them process and remember everything they want to accomplish while visiting their favorite destination. Visual Mind Maps can, therefore, help vacationers get the most out of their trip and worry less about ensuring they see the important sites they don’t want to miss.
What are Visual Mind Maps and How Are They Created?
A Visual Mind Map is “a means of organizing information that allows individuals to create diagrams, pictures, and other graphic visuals in order to show the relationship between ideas or other types of information”. With a Visual Mind Map, the creator makes use of colors and symbols to construct the map and represent his or her ideas in a non-linear format. When creating a Visual Mind Map, the individual usually begins by showing the key concept or main idea of the information as a central image, located in the center of the map. Any themes surrounding the main idea are shown on “branches” that are attached to the central image. Subsequent themes of less importance are then attached to these branches using “child branches”, and so on. The resulting diagram is a “map” of the ideas and information presented that includes the images, visual graphics, and colors the individual associates with each of the themes and ideas.
Using a Visual Mind Map to Organize a Sightseeing Expedition
Consider, as an example, a family visiting Greece for the first time. They want to make sure they see all of the famous Greek ruins, as well as take in the local culture by visiting some famous restaurants. Hoping to pack the most into their 7-day vacation, they decide to organize each day’s activities using a Visual Mind Map. The family begins their construction of the map by placing a graphic representing Greece in the center of the map. Next, they list each of their 7 vacation days on “branches” they attach to the graphic. Using a guidebook, the family then lists the sites they intend to visit each day on “child branches” that they attach to the “branches”. The family continues by listing the approximate times, as well as any special notes about each site, on “twigs” that they attach to the “child branches”. Throughout the map, the family uses colors and picture associations to make the information in the map more intuitive and easier to remember. When they have finished their Visual Mind Map, it looks similar to the attached Map diagram.
Taking the Visual Mind Map on Vacation
When the family arrives at their destination, they find they have no trouble visiting and enjoying all of the sites and locations they wanted to during their visit. Each day, the family simply consults their Visual Mind Map to see what they are supposed to do that day, and then follows through accordingly. The family could have used a traditional list to keep track of their site visits, however, doing so would have made managing their sightseeing tours more cumbersome. Firstly, the list would have been more tedious and difficult to keep up with. Secondly, the list would not have contained all the visual imagery and quickly recalled associations contained in the Visual Mind Map. Thus, the family likely would have had a more difficult time remembering what they were supposed to do without constantly referring to the pages of the list. The family was, therefore, able to enjoy their trip and make the most out of their destination visit through efficient and creative Visual Mind Map organization.
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