How can you quickly capture these brainstorming ideas while creating a data set that you can analyze, edit, and work on later?
When you create a brainstorming diagram in Microsoft Office Visio, you create a visual archive of your ideas, as in the drawing below. The diagram can help you quickly identify and sequence designs and hierarchies, making it possible to quickly pull an action plan out of a disorganized meeting that is generating ideas.
In this article, we’ll look at five different ways to create a brainstorming diagram in Visio. Each method has its appeal, depending on how you want to work.
Using a brainstorming diagram
There are two main ways to use a brainstorming chart. First, start with a main idea and then generate related topics and subtopics hierarchically to achieve a large number of different possible approaches.
The second is to capture all the ideas as they are expressed, and later to organize them in a hierarchical diagram. Then revise, refine, and share the results with the members of the group. This method is most useful in a brainstorming meeting where people contribute ideas in rapid succession. In this setting, hierarchies are not always visible, and you need to capture ideas quickly.
Starting a new brainstorming diagram
Click YouPress File, and then press New.
Click you underBusiness on Brainstorming diagram. If business is not displayed, click on templates or categories.
Expand the drawing page to fit your brainstorming diagram
If your brainstorming diagram extends beyond the boundaries of the drawing sheet, you can easily expand the drawing sheet without moving your topics to another drawing sheet. There are two ways to resize the page: by manually dragging the page margins or by using the Page dialog box set up.
Resize the drawing sheet by manually dragging the frames
Click at View menu on Zoom, and then click to Whole Page. In this view, the frames of the drawing sheet are displayed.
Place the mouse cursor on the frame of the drawing sheet you want to expand, and then press the CTRL key. When the mouse pointer changes to a double-headed arrow, drag the mouse pointer to resize the page.
resize the drawing page using the Page Setup dialog box
Click Click on Draft,and then press SHIFT+F5 to display the Page set up to open.
Click the tab Drawing Sheet Size.
Give you can change the size of the page underCustom Size, enter the size of the page you want to use, and click OK.
Tip: The changes to the size of the drawing sheet are applied only to the currently displayed drawing sheet. Also, make sure you enter the correct unit of measurement (inches or millimeters) in the Custom Size fields when you enter the page format.
Using the brainstorming menu
You can select the most frequently used tasks when creating a Brainstorming Chart run it, z. B. add a main topic or arrange topics on the page by clicking buttons in the Brainstorm menu ribbon.
You can easily access these tools without dragging the mouse pointer from the drawing page. For example, if you are using a tablet PC, simply tap once on the Brainstorming Ribbon, to put topics on the drawing sheet.
About the brainstorming menu ribbon you get access to all the tools that are specifically designed for the Brainstorming template developed were. In addition to adding or arranging topics, you can use the commands on this ribbon to perform actions such as changing the type of an existing topic or moving a topic to a new page.
Create a diagram using the "Brainstorming" tab
Click button on the Brainstorming tab at Main.
With the shape selected, type the text you want the main idea to represent.
Click with selected Main topic shape on Subtopic.
A subtopic provides the link to and is subordinate to the main topic.
Enter the title of the subtop.
Adding more topics using the Brainstorming toolbar
You can add more topics to your diagram by doing one of the following:
Add multiple sub-top elements
Select the topic to which you want to add subtopics, and then click on the Brainstorming toolbar at Multiple subtopics.
In the dialog box, type the text for each new topic, and after each topic, press the ENTER BUTTON. When you’ve added all the topics you’ve received, click OK.
Adding a peer topic
Select the topic to which you want to add a topic at the same level, and then click on the Brainstorming toolbar go to Peer.
Type the title of the topic.
Adding one topic at a time
Select the topic to which you want to add a topic or subtopic on the same layer, and then click the Brainstorming toolbar To Peer or Subtopic.
Enter the title of the topic.
Arrange topics
You can improve the appearance of your diagram and maximize the space on the drawing page by doing the following:
Click on the brainstorming toolbar button at Auto arrange.
Tip: You can manually arrange topics by selecting the topics you want to move and then dragging them to another position on the page. When you move a topic, its connectors are automatically repositioned and its child topics are moved with it.
Use the context menu
In a Microsoft Office application, the context menu (or shortcut menu) is a handy tool to use when you want to quickly perform an action without moving the cursor off the page. The context menu also contains standard Visio drawing sheet commands for tasks such as copy and paste shapes.
Most experienced users use the link method because of its accessibility. In Visio, you can easily create your diagram using this method.
To create a chart using the shortcut method
Right-click the drawing page, and then click then click Add Main Topic.
With the shape selected, enter the text you want the main idea to represent.
Right-click the main topic shape, and click then click Add Subtopic.
Enter the title of the subtopic.
Adding topics using the linking method
There are several ways to add topics to your diagram:
Adding multiple child top elements
Right-click on the topic to which you want to add multiple subtopic topics, and then click on Add multiple child topics.
In the dialog box, type the text for each new topic, and after each topic, press the the ENTER. When you have added all the topics you have received, click on OK.
Adding a peer topic
Right-click the topic to which you want to add a topic at the same level, and click then click Add Peer Topic.
Enter the text for the new topic.
Adding a topic at the same time
Right-click on the topic to which you want to add a topic or subtopic of the same level, and then click on Add Peer Topic or Add subtopic.
type the title of the topic.
Arrange topics
You can improve the appearance of your diagram and maximize the space on the drawing sheet by doing the following:
Right-click an empty area on the page, and then click Arrange shapes automatically.
Tip: You can manually arrange topics by selecting the topics you want to move and then dragging them to another position on the page. When you move a topic, its connectors are automatically repositioned and its child topics are moved with it.
Using the Outline Pane
In the Outline window displays a structure of your brainstorming diagram that captures the hierarchical relationships of the topics. All information that is spread across multiple shapes and pages is consolidated in one central location. Use this feature when you want to organize your ideas in a linear view without affecting the appearance of your diagram and without having to navigate back and forth between shapes and pages.
Enabling or disabling the outline window
To enable or disable the Outline panel, select or clear the Outline panel check box on the Brainstorming tab.
Creating a diagram using the Outline panel
Click in the outline windowright click on "Drawing1 or on the name of the saved drawing file, and then click Add to main topic.
Click with the right mouse button on main topic, and select Rename from.
Enter the text you want to represent the main idea.
To add a child topic, right-click on the Main topic (or another topic), and then click Add subtopic. Rename the subtopic in the same way you renamed the main topic.
Tip: If you want to delete topics, right-click a topic, and then click Delete on topic. if you delete a topic with subtopic topics, all corresponding child topics will be deleted as well. You can also delete a topic by selecting the topic you want to delete and then DELETE KEY press.
Adding more topics to a chart using the outline window
When you add more topics in the outline window want,right-click the topic to which you want to add more topics, and then click Add multiple subtopics. You can in the Multiple Subtopics dialog box Add Topics the names of the topics, and then click on OK.
Changing a topic to a subtopic
Since in the Outline window Topics are displayed in a linear view, allowing you to control the hierarchical structure of your topics. At Outline windowyou can change a topic to another subtopic by dragging the name of the topic to another layer.
To move a subtopic to a higher level (or a lower level) in the hierarchy, drag the subtopic name over the higher level topic (or lower level topic). If the subtopic you moved has corresponding subtopics, they will be moved as well, and the changes will appear in your diagram.
Tip: Leveling up or down a topic in the hierarchy using the Outline pane automatically changes the structure of the diagram.
Move a topic up or down in the Outline pane
You can organize or prioritize topics in the outline window without affecting the structure of the chart. For example, if you want to prioritize topics, you can move the higher priority topics to the top of the outline window – the arrangement of shapes on the page will remain the same.
Right-click the topic you want to move, and then click at Up or Down.
This change is made only in the Outline window reflected. The position of the topic in your diagram remains unchanged.
Using brainstorming shapes
Dragging shapes from the template Brainstorm shapes you have the most control over the position of your topics on the drawing page and their connection type.
Tip: Since this method does not use the automated features of the brainstorming template, when you use the command Auto Arrange and the outline window may not always produce the results you expect.
Before you begin: Creating a diagram of your thoughts and expanding their pages
Consider two points before creating a diagram: Your approach to creating the diagram and how you will design your diagram to fit on the drawing page so that it is readable as you add more topics. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the methods used here in advance so that you can efficiently create your diagram during your brainstorming session.
Create a brainstorming diagram
There are two main ways to create a brainstorming diagram:
First, start with a main idea and then generate related topics and subtopics hierarchically to achieve a large number of different possible approaches.
The second consists in capturing all the ideas as they are expressed and later to organize them in a hierarchical diagram. Then revise, refine, and share the results with the group members. This method is most useful in a brainstorming meeting where people contribute ideas in rapid succession. In this setting, hierarchies are not always visible, and you need to capture ideas quickly.
Expand the drawing sheet to fit your brainstorming diagram
If your brainstorming diagram extends beyond the boundaries of the drawing sheet, you can easily expand the drawing sheet without moving your topics to another drawing sheet. There are two ways to change the page size: by manually dragging the page margins or by using the Page dialog box set up.
Resize the drawing page by dragging the frames manually
Point at View menu on Zoom, and click on Whole page. In this view, you can view the frames of the drawing sheet.
Place the mouse pointer on the frame of the drawing sheet you want to expand, and then press the CTRL key. When the mouse pointer changes to an arrow with two arrows, drag the mouse pointer to resize the page.
Changing the size of the drawing page using the Page Setup dialog box
In the File to Page Setup.
Click the Drawing sheet size.
Enter You underCustom Size the size of the page you want to use and click on OK.
Hint: The changes to the size of the drawing sheet are applied only to the currently displayed drawing sheet. Also make sure you enter the correct unit of measurement (inches or millimeters) in the Custom Size fields when you enter the page format.
Using the Brainstorming Toolbar
You can select the most frequently used tasks when creating a Brainstorming diagram execute, z. B. add a main topic or arrange topics on the page by clicking buttons on the Brainstorming toolbar.
You can easily access these tools without dragging the mouse pointer from the drawing page. For example, if you are using a tablet PC, simply tap once on the Brainstorm toolbar, to place topics on the drawing sheet.
Tip: If the toolbar Brainstorming is not displayed, point the View menu to Toolbars, toolbar and then click Brainstorm.
Create a diagram using the Brainstorming tab or toolbar
Click on the or tab Brainstorming toolbar on Add main topic.
With the shape selected, type the text that you want the main idea to represent.
Click With a shape selected Main topic shape on Add child topic.
A child topic connects to and is subordinate to the main topic.
Enter the subtop title.
Adding more topics using the Brainstorming toolbar
You can add more topics to your diagram by doing one of the following:
Adding multiple subordinate top elements
Select the topic to which you want to add child topics, and then click the Brainstorming toolbar to Several Add Subordinate Topic.
In the dialog box, type the text for each new topic, and after each topic, press the INPUT KEYBOARD. When you have added all the topics you received, click on OK.
Adding a peer topic
Select the topic to which you want to add a topic at the same level, and then click on the Brainstorming toolbar at Add a peer topic.
Enter the title of the topic.
Adding one topic at a time
Select the topic to which you want to add a topic of the same level or a subtopic, and then click on the Brainstorming toolbar click on Add Peer Topic or Add Child Topic Add Topic.
Enter the title of the topic.
Arrange topics
You can improve the appearance of your diagram and maximize the space on the drawing page by doing the following:
Click on the brainstorming toolbar to Automatically arrange topics.
Tip: You can manually arrange topics by selecting the topics you want to move and then dragging them to a different position on the page. When you move a topic, its connectors are automatically repositioned and its child topics are moved with it.
Using the Brainstorming Menu
About the Brainstorming menu you’ll get access to all the tools that are specifically designed for Brainstorming template developed were. In addition to adding or arranging topics, you can use the commands in this menu to perform actions such as changing the type of an existing topic or moving a topic to a new page.
Using the context menu
In a Microsoft Office application, the context menu (or shortcut menu) is a handy tool to use when you want to quickly perform an action without moving the cursor off the page. The context menu also contains standard Visio drawing sheet commands for tasks such as copying and pasting shapes.
Most experienced users use the shortcut method due to its accessibility. In Visio, you can easily create your diagram using this method.
Create a diagram using the link method
Right-click on the drawing page, and then click Add Main Topic.
With the shape selected, type the text you want the main idea to represent.
Right-click on the main topic shape, and click then click Add Subtopic.
Enter the title of the subtop.
Adding topics using the linking method
There are several ways to add topics to your diagram:
Adding several subordinate top elements
Right-click the topic to which you want to add multiple subtopic topics, and then click the Add multiple subtopics.
dialog box, type the text for each new topic, and after each topic, press the ENTER. When you have added all the topics you have received, click on OK.
Adding a peer topic
Right-click the topic to which you want to add a same-level topic, and click then on Add Peer Topic.
Enter the text for the new topic.
Adding a topic at the same time
right-click the topic to which you want to add a topic or subtopic of the same level, and then click Add Peer Topic or Add a subtopic.
type the title of the topic.
Arranging topics
You can improve the appearance of your diagram and maximize the space on the drawing sheet by doing the following:
Right-click an empty area on the page, and then click Arrange shapes automatically.
Tip: You can manually arrange topics by selecting the topics you want to move and then dragging them to another position on the page. When you move a topic, its connectors are automatically repositioned and its child topics are moved with it.
Using the Outline Pane
In the Outline window a structure of your brainstorming diagram will be displayed, capturing the hierarchical relationships of the topics. All information that is spread across multiple shapes and pages is consolidated in one central location. Use the feature when you want to organize your ideas in a linear view without affecting the appearance of your diagram and without having to navigate back and forth between shapes and pages.
Creating a diagram using the Outline pane
Click in the Outline windowright-clicking on Drawing1 or the name of the drawing file you saved, and then click to Add Main Topic.
Click with the right Mouse button on main topic, and select Rename from.
Enter the text you want to represent the main idea.
To add a child topic, right-click on the topic you want to add main topic (or another topic), and then click Add subtopic. Rename the subtopic in the same way you renamed the main topic.
Tip: If you want to delete topics, right-click on a topic, and then click Delete topic. If you delete a topic with subtopic topics, all corresponding child topics will be deleted as well. you can also delete a topic by selecting the topic you want to delete and then clicking the DELETE BUTTON press.
Add more topics to a diagram using the outline window
If you add more topics in the outline window Want,right-click the topic to which you want to add more topics, and then click Add multiple subtopics. Type in the Multiple Subordinate Add Themes to enter the names of the themes, and then click OK.
Change a topic to a subtopic
Since in the Outline window topics are displayed in a linear view, you can use it to control the hierarchical structure of your topics. In the Outline paneyou can change a topic to another subtopic by dragging the name of the topic to another layer.
If you want to move a subtopic to a higher level (or a lower level) in the hierarchy, drag the subtopic name above the higher-level topic (or lower-level topic). If the subtopic you moved has corresponding subtopics, they will also be moved along with it, and the changes will be shown in your chart.
Tip: Leveling up or down a topic in the hierarchy using the Outline pane automatically changes the structure of the chart.
Moving a topic up or down in the Outline pane
You can organize or prioritize topics in the Outline pane without affecting the structure of the chart. For example, if you want to prioritize topics, you can move the higher priority topics to the top of the outline window – the arrangement of shapes on the page remains the same.
Right-click the topic you want to move, and then click to Up or Down.
This change is made only in the Outline window reflects. The position of the topic in your diagram remains unchanged.
Using brainstorming shapes
By dragging shapes from the template Brainstorming shapes you have the greatest control over the position of your topics on the drawing sheet and their connection type.
Tip: Because this method does not use the automated features of the brainstorming template, if you use the command Auto Arrange and the outline window may not always produce the results you expect.
Creating a diagram by dragging shapes onto the drawing page
Drag from the Brainstorming Shapes template the main topic shape onto the drawing page.
Enter the text that you want the main topic to represent.
If you want to add a subtopic topic, drag The Topic Shape on the sheet. Enter with selected Topic Shape the name of the topic.
You can add multiple themes and subthemes by using the Shape Several Drag themes to the page. In the dialog box, type the name of the topics, and then click OK.
Before you connect shapes: Understanding connection types
Topics are not automatically connected when you move them from the Brainstorming Shapes template draw, so it’s a good idea to understand how connectors work in their Visio.
Visio includes two methods for connecting topics in your diagram, shape-to-shape and point-to-point. Each method is designed for specific situations, and the method you should use depends on how solid you want the actual connection point to be.
Shape-to-Shape
When you move shapes that are shape-to-shape connected, the connectors themselves are repositioned to keep the connection as direct as possible. If you want a shape-to-shape connection, drag the ends of the connector line to the center of the shape until a red border appears around the topic shape.
point-to-point
If a connection is a point-to-point connection, the ends of the connector are glued to specific points on each shape. If you want a point-to-point connection, drag the ends of the connection line to a point on the shape until a red X appears. When you move the shapes, the connector remains attached to these original points.
Identify the connection type
To determine whether a connection is a shape-to-shape or point-to-point connection, click the connector to select it.
If the ends of the connector become large red squares, the connection is shape-to-shape. When the ends become small red squares with symbols (x or +), the connector is one point to one point.
changing one connection type to another
If you want to change a shape-to-shape connection to a point-to-point connection, drag a connector endpoint away from the shape, and then drag it back to the connection point marked with a blue X where you want it to connect to the shape.
To change a point-to-point connection to shape-to-shape, drag a connector endpoint across the process step shape until a red box surrounds the entire shape.
Connecting topics
Pull the dynamic Connectors from the template Brainstorming shapes in an empty area on the page.
Drag one end of the connection line to the center of the first shape you want to connect until the topic shape is surrounded by a red box.
Drag the other end of the connecting line to the center of the second shape you want to connect until it is also surrounded by a red box.
When you release the mouse and select the connector, each endpoint is displayed as a solid red square, indicating that the shapes are properly connected.
Showing associations between topics
You can create a specific relationship between two topics in your brainstorming diagram using an association line View,which is shown as a dashed line between the related topics. In contrast to the dynamic connector,defining the main structure of the diagram, the association line connects topics with different branches on the same (hierarchical) level.
The Assignment line is only a visual cue and is not included in the hierarchy of the chart. In Outline window the assignment between the topics is not shown.
You can connect topics with the help of a Assignment line shapes in the same way as with the dynamic connector. If you want to discuss topics about the Connect assignment line,you will be redirected with the topics when you move them.