Tools for Mind mapping

 Several tools are used for drawing a mind map and some of the most famous ones are:
iMindMap by Tony Buzan
Freemind
Xmind
Bubbl.US
MindMeister
Freeplane
Mind42.com
And many others.
The one I used and found interesting was Freemind.It is an awesome tool for designing and graphing what exactly is running through your mind. It gives you a feel of linking and convincing your thoughts in an easy and organised manner.A good tool for mind map that simplifies and presents your thoughts in an easy way.
It is really easy to download and use Freemind. 
             One can go on the site http://freemind.sourceforge.net.It will provide you with the link to Download.To download freemind you should have JRE 1.4 or above in your system. In case, you do not have it than Install Java Runtime Environment.Choose a FreeMind installation file by operating system.. E.g. If you have windows on your system than click on Windows Installer max.Download the chosen installation file.Install FreeMind.

Mind map

Mind map is the mapping of the ideas and thoughts in your mind on a map visually.The ideas revolve around a central idea or thought with the aim of organizing information, studying, solving problems and making decisions.Mind map can also be thought of graphical method of taking notes.Mind map can be visualized in the form of tree that is in a hierarchical format with many branches or ideas branching in various sub-sections.It is an attractive way for one to take notes through text and pictures.Modern mind mapping is invented by Tony Buzan.Some of the guidelines for building a mind map is as follows:
1. Start  with a central idea by a root.
2. We can use images, symbols, codes, colors, text and dimensions throughout the mind map.
3. Each word or image is represented or shown on its own line.
4. The lines that represent the branches should be connected to the central root and lines starting from centre are thicker, organic and flowing and they become thinner as they originate from the centre.
5. Use multiple colors throughout the mind map that makes it attractive and easy to understand.
6. Have your own style of mind mapping that leaves a great impact on the viewer.

Mind map

Finally, we could say that mind map is made around a single idea or word and it is an easy way of representing data in an extraordinary fashion which could be easily figured out even by a layman that what one is trying to convey or convince.

                  Mind maps has several applications and some of them may be:

                           Note making

                           Outline/ Framework Design

                           Brainstorming

                           Summarizing

                           Revising

                           Prioritizing

                           Clarifying the thoughts and ideas over a subject or matter

                           Individual expression of creating

                           Mixture of text and images

It is an effective tool of LEARNING.

Mind map can also be said as coloring of your thoughts and ideas with different color paints in an awesome and captivating manner.

Conventional Methods of Data Visualization

HISTOGRAM: Vertical bar representation that depicts the distribution of the set of data with the help of tabular frequencies shown by the adjacent rectangles, erected over discrete intervals (bins), with an area equal to the frequency of the observations in the interval. The total area of histogram is equal to the number of data.

LINE GRAPH: Line graphs display graphical information by illustrating through the relationship between two changing quantities with the help of variables. Line graphs are used to compare whether the rate of change is increasing, decreasing, fluctuating or remains constant.

 PIE CHARTS: Pie chart is a circular chart that depicts proportion with the help of sectors and angles. Pie charts are the most ubiquitous and descriptive graphical representation that easily compares a part with the whole quantity.

  BAR GRAPHS: A bar chart is a chart with retangular bars with length propotional to the values they represent.Three different types of bar graphs are:

1.       Vertical Bar Graphs:

               2.       Stacked Bar Graphs:

3.       Grouped Bar Graphs:

 AREA GRAPH:  An area chart or area graph displays graphically quantitive data. It is based on the line chart.The area between axis and line are commonly emphasized with colors, textures and hatchings. 

WATERFALL GRAPH:  Waterfall Graph is a form of data visualization which helps in determining the cumulative effect of sequentially introduced positive or negative values.  The waterfall chart is also known as a Flying Bricks Chart or Mario Chart due to the apparent suspension of columns (brick) in mid-air.

CANDLESTICK CHARTS: A candlestick chart is a style of bar chart used primarily to describe price movements of a security, derivative or currency over time. It is a combination of a line-chart and a bar-chart, in that each bar represents the range of price movement over a given time interval. It is most often used in technical analysis of equity and currency price patterns. They appear superficially similar to error bars but are unrelated.

CONTROL CHARTS: Control charts, also known as Shewhart charts or process-behaviour charts, in statistical process are tools used to determine whether or not a manufacturing or business process is in a state of statistical control.

TREE DIAGRAM: The term tree diagram refers to a specific type of diagram that has a unique Network topology. Tree diagram is used when a process is to be analyzed in detail, to develop actions to carry out a particular plan etc.

These were the various types of conventional methods used. Many of them are still used but now more advanced and prudent techniques of data visualization has been introduced and used.

Abstracting Information Visually

Data Visualization is a way one can abstract information and make efficient use of that information in project works, in day to day life, in studies, in business world and much more than that. Data Visualization is a state of art that enhances and improves the way of visualizing things and intercepting those things. It provides qualitative understanding of information contents where the information may be data, concepts, relations or processes.The graphical presentation may contain manipulation of graphical entities such as points, lines, shapes, images, texts etc and they may also make use of various attributes such as color, size position and shape.Data presented here can be in various forms and formats that varies according to the content that is to be displayed or viewed by the viewers.Data can be in numeric or symbolic form, scalar, vector or complex structure, discrete or continuous, spatial, quantity, category, temporal, relational or structural, accurate or approximate, ordered or non-ordered, disjoint or overlapping, binary, enumerated or multilevel, independent or dependent; multidimensional, single or multiple sets etc.depending on the data that is to be presented.

Attractive way of capturing focus of viewers