Where does it come from

A similar model was originally used by Porphyry of Tyros (in the 3rd century) to conceptualize the ideas of Aristotle. Still, it became popular in the 1960s and 1970s, when Tony Buzan popularized and schematized the process in the 1970s and 1980s. Nonetheless throughout the centuries similar approaches had been used by Leonardo da Vinci and by Picasso, who had their own techniques for visualizing complex ideas.

Buzan’s methodology and the introduction of the term “mind map”, came in to 1974 as a result of his BBC TV show, “Use Your Head”. Buzan suggests “traditional” outlines force readers to scroll left to right and top to bottom, but it is actually the case that readers do not scan the entire page in a non-linear fashion. Buzan’s approach also utilizes some of the popular assumptions about the functions of the cerebral hemispheres in order to explain the claims that mind mapping yields greater results than other note-taking methods.

Concept maps: Mind maps only concentrate on one word or idea and concept maps connect multiple words or ideas. Mind maps are based on directional hierarchies and tree structures that denote relations with a central governing concept, while concept maps are based on interrelationships of different concepts.

Modeling graphs: Mind maps, rely on the arbitrariness of mnemonic systems, have no formal rules about right or wrong. A UML (Unified Modeling Language) diagram or semanticized network has structured elements that model relationships and line objects to show relationships, using obvious, clear iconography in black or white.