Product 1972

Concept Map

A node-and-labeled-link diagram where every connection has to read as a sentence, not just a line.

What it is

Five moves: a focus question, key concept nodes ordered general-to-specific, linking phrases that turn each connection into a proposition, cross-links between branches, and a review pass for gaps or disagreement. Unlike a mind map, every link is a verb phrase — the test is whether node-link-node reads as a grammatical sentence.

Reach for it when

• A team onboarding to a complex domain with no shared vocabulary yet
• Research synthesis that needs relationships between concepts, not just clusters of them
• A team about to start design work that may not actually share the same mental model

Running it

1. Agree the focus question before placing a single node — an unbounded map sprawls into 'everything.'
2. Brainstorm and place key concept nodes, roughly general at the top, specific below.
3. Draw links between related concepts and label every one with a verb phrase, so each triplet reads as a sentence.
4. Review the finished map as a group of 1-6 over 30-120 minutes, and circle any node or link someone disagrees with.