Brainstorming diagram example

Brainstorming is an effective method for generating ideas and creatively solving problems. It can help you develop any system of related ideas or information, such as new business strategies, book outlines, meeting minutes, or travel plans.

A brainstorming diagram shows the interrelationships among topics in a hierarchy. You can think of it as a graphical illustration of a text outline.

There are two popular ways to create brainstorming diagrams. The first is to begin with a main idea and then generate related topics and subtopics hierarchically. However, during a brainstorming meeting where people are contributing ideas in rapid succession, hierarchies aren't always apparent, and you need to capture ideas quickly. The second way, then, is to capture all of those ideas as they're expressed, and later to organize, revise, refine, and share the results.

Using Microsoft Office Visio, you can quickly create brainstorming diagrams using either method. It's easy to add topics, arrange topics, create a legend, and format the diagram. You can view the diagram in an Outline Window to see topic relationships at a glance. You can even export the diagram to a Microsoft Office Word outline for a linear view.

Create a brainstorming diagram