A concept map is visual representation - a picture - of how different ideas are related to each other. Ideas that are located close together on the map are closely related in meaning, and ideas that are farther apart are considered to be less related in meaning. Similar ideas will often "cluster" together, which allows us to look at them as a whole category.
In traditional planning, people often start by defining the categories of things to discuss. In concept mapping, individual ideas from stakeholders come first, then the map shows an organizational structure of these ideas, to use for effective planning.
Some concept maps, or mind maps, are a visual representation of how one person views a topic. The Concept System® concept maps summarize and reflect how an entire group views a topic. Our unique software program uses statistical techniques to aggregate how each group member individually chooses to organize ideas into categories, and reflect priorities.
Concept maps give you the opportunity to capture a group's thinking efficiently and inclusively. This process gives people the ability to contribute independently - a critical ingredient for a successful group process. Concept maps and the other reports we provide are concrete and easy to read. Best of all, these reports show participants that their contribution to the process was actually used, and demonstrates how their work fit in with what others contributed.
