1.

Select a drawing medium

Many people just use pen and paper or a whiteboard because they’re readily available, but
it’s not easy to save your whiteboard scribbles or make your handwritten diagram look
professional once you’re done.
Lucidchart, a cloud-based visual workspace, has the advantage of saving your work in a digital
format, so it’s easy to share, edit, and polish your diagram. Plus, you can access your
diagrams with any Internet-enabled device.
2. Create a main concept
Whatever medium you choose, the next step is to determine the central idea that you want
to detail. If you’re not sure where to begin, try identifying a portion of text, a classroom
activity, or a tough problem that needs solving.
It might be useful to come up with a single question, called a focus question, that clearly
specifies the problem or issue the concept map will help resolve. Your concept map will
consistently lead back to that question and its answer.
3. Identify key concepts
Now that you’ve selected a main concept, the next step is to write down subordinate
concepts. Make a list of related ideas, and rank them from the general to the specific. This
list, also known as a parking lot because you’re waiting to move these ideas to your map,
should consist of around 15-25 key concepts.
Describe each concept as briefly as possible; usually one or two words per idea will suffice.
Keeping your descriptions concise will prevent your map from becoming bloated and text-
heavy.
4. Organize shapes and lines
Order each of your concepts in a hierarchical format, with the most general ideas at the top
of the map under your main concept and the most specific ones at the bottom. Your concept
map will take form as you connect shapes with lines and pinpoint the correct location for
each idea.
Concept maps typically have text, or linking words, written on each line to make sense of the
relationship between a general concept and more specific ones. The text might include a
specific verb like “provides” or “encompasses.”
Once you’ve created this preliminary concept map containing the basic links, add cross-links
to illustrate relationships between concepts that are on the same level of specificity.
5. Fine-tune the map
As you add links to every concept, be sure to carefully examine the relationships you’re
illustrating. Ask yourself questions like:
 Does every element fit well in its respective place?
 Is there a better position for this idea or group of ideas?
 Can I use a more accurate linking word to represent this relationship?
These questions will help you improve cognitive performance and challenge your knowledge
on any subject.
Remember this is a preliminary map that will likely need revising. Lucidchart makes it simple
to rearrange shapes on the page, add supplementary notes and comments, and even apply
attractive styling to your diagram.
With Lucidchart, you can easily create organized concept maps and other specialized di