Sketchnoting and mind mapping compared

Someone (@According2MattL) asked on Twitter “Maybe u can answer this for me: how are Sketchnotes and Mind Mapping different?” So I decided to give it a go.

Mind maps can be made with words and lines only, and often are. The structure of the topic is shown by lines which lay out a radial or tree hierarchy. Images and sketches can be incorporated and help quickly identify an area of interest at a particular time.

Sketchnotes, by definition must contain sketches. All sketchnoters that I’ve seen show artistic talent. Sketchnotes often indicate a flow of ideas, but are not tied to a hierarchy.

The best sketchnoters I know of are Nancy Margulies(she calls them Mindscapes) and Sacha Chua but these are just personal preferences, there’s an army!

Even for an artistic mind mapper like Adam Sicinski, the hierarchy and words are the dominant aspect.

For an example of deep information set out in a words-only mind map, take a look at this map about Intensive Care Unit knowledge. This is not strictly a Buzan-style mind map, but is a mind map nevertheless.

• Summary by example:
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  Hand-drawn mind map

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  Extract of a Sketchnote by Alysha Lach White for illustration only.