Mind mapping is only one flavor of visual thinking. Because this blog is heavily focused upon mind mapping software, it’s easy to forget that there are many other ways to represent information and ideas in visual form. So from time to time, I like to remind you of the larger world of which mind mapping is a part.
“Think Visual” was inspired by Apple’s Think Different brand-building campaign, which celebrated creative people and gave them a brand to identify with. I’ve always liked the thinking behind “think different.” It doesn’t say we should think “differently” – which would imply a superficial, incremental change to our usual, well-worn mental pathways. No, when Steve Jobs insisted that Apple’s ad agency use the phrase think DIFFERENT, it was because that captured the kind of lateral thinking he was fond of.
Jobs wanted creative people to imagine big possibilities, to do work that would make a difference – that would “put a dent in the universe.”
Inspired by the whole concept behind “think different” (which I’m reading about in Walter Isaacon’s excellent biography of the late Steve Jobs – I decided to try my hand at designing a logo that would encourage visual thinkers to “Think Visual.” You can see the result above, embedded as the central topic in a mind map that I created using ThinkBuzan’s iMindMap program. I then surrounded it with many popular types of visual thinking. Some may look familiar, because I write about them occasionally.
In the spirit of Think Different, get out there and stretch your visual thinking muscles. Imagine what could be. Don’t be satisfied with the status quo. And don’t be afraid to explore some different varieties of visual thinking. It will broaden your ability envision ideas, solve problems and generate solutions. What you learn in the process will make your mind mapping even stronger. It’s time to do great things, dream big, make a dent in the universe.
If you’d like to share the Think Visual logo on your blog or website, please feel free to download the image files below. Several styles are provided. All I ask is that you cite the source and link back to this blog. OK?
Please help spread the word about Think Visual. If you do so, please let me know using the contact page on this blog or send me a message on Twitter. Thanks!
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