It is commonly accepted that images

It is commonly accepted that images convey much more information than a key word or even a whole
sentence. But there are other reasons you should use them too:
Memory: Novak (1998)
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, Rico (1983)
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, and Shone (1984)
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all point out that the economical way Mind
Maps summarise information into visual symbols, helps you to remember that information i.e. the Mind
Map can be clearly pictured in your mind’s eye.
Creativity: According to Margulies (1991)
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, before children learn a language, they visualise pictures in
their minds which are linked to concepts. Unfortunately, once children are trained to write only words in
one colour on lined paper, their creative channels and mental flexibility diminishes. Images keep this
creativity fired up.
Impact: A study has proved the benefits of utilising visual elements in presentations and tightly
integrating them with words. By comparing visual presentations with verbal presentations, the results
were vastly in favour of visualisations. Presenters who used visual language were perceived by the
audience as more effective than those using no visuals – they were clearer, more concise, more
interesting, more professional, more credible and better prepared.
The Wharton School (1981)
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Using key words
Tony Buzan has always been passionate about using key words in Mind Maps rather than phrases or a
collection of words. Tony states that a key word is essentially a word that will trigger as much relevant
meaning as possible. So by using key words in your Mind Map, you open up your thinking and stimulate
your mind to dig deeper and see greater detail on thoughts that were previously vague. This can be a
difficult process when the key word is trapped in a sentence. It’s also far easier to remember single
words and striking headlines than to remember long sentences.
Research on note-making and note-taking conducted by Dr Howe (1970)
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revealed that key word notes
personally made or given to students were far more effective in terms of the understanding and recall
they engendered than complete transcript notes or sentence summary notes.