Mind Map Maker for Excel

Highlight #1: Automatic layout

You can adjust the ribbon options to split the chart, arrange the parent-child relationship vertically or horizontally, show nodes at different levels, include WBS numbers, and more.

Highlight #2: Mind map template in excel format

The template specifies the legends used in the chart. Customizing the templates allows you to easily change the color scheme and style of your chart, as well as apply your own business and brand style.

Highlight #3: Export to PDF and image formats

By integrating PDF Creator for Excel, you can easily export the sheet (chart and node table), the chart, or the selected area to PDF and image formats.

Step #1

Start Excel. Navigate to the UniformSoftware (or BoostExcel) ribbon tab. Click on New Mind Map. This generates a new mind map sheet by importing a sample node list from the default template.

Step #2

The structured node list is organized using WBS numbers. The Mind Map ribbon tab includes useful functions like Clear, Make Parent, Make Child, Move Up, and Move Down. You can also select the shape type of each node from an intuitive picker.

Step #3

Click Refresh Chart. The diagram is generated automatically. Typically, you do not need to modify it by dragging and dropping. However, you have the option to do so.

Create mind maps using basic shapes

Shape objects in Microsoft 365 are graphical elements that can be used to improve the visual appeal and clarity of documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and emails. They come in a wide range of simple and complex shapes, allowing you to represent data, illustrate concepts, or simply add decorative flourishes. Creating mind maps is only one of its applications.

1. Create and open a new Excel file.
2. Go to Excel's Insert ribbon tab.
3. Click Shapes in the Illustrations ribbon group.

   

4. Click a shape on the menu, and then click an empty area on the sheet. This creates a new shape.
5. Repeat the above step to add additional shape objects.
6. If you like, you can copy the existing shapes too. To do this, click to select the shape that you want to copy, then press CTRL+C on your keyboard, then press CTRL+V. This creates a new shape with the same size and color as the original one.

   You can also use Excel's alignment tools against the mind maps and organization charts created by Mind Map Maker for Excel. Mind Map Maker for Excel by default aligns shapes automatically, but it also allows you to customize the diagrams by dragging and dropping. In this case, the alignment tools are very useful.

7. To add text to a shape, right-click a shape and then choose Edit Text.
8. To add a connect between two shapes, go to the Insert ribbon tab, pull down the Shapes list, and click one of the line objects in the Lines category. When you hover your mouse over a shape, it shows the available connection sites. Click on one of the connection sites; this makes the site the start point of the connection.
9. Now drag the end of the connection line and place it on the site of the end node. This creates the relationship between the two nodes, as shown below.

   

10. Excel offers many options for you to customize the effects of the shapes. Click and select a shape, and the Shape Format ribbon tab appears. Click and expand the Shape Styles list to choose a pre-defined shape style.
11. This is the result of applying a shape style and setting a shape effect. Download it.

    

As you can see, Microsoft 365 provides numerous options for customizing shapes. You can change the shape's fill, outline, effects, size, alignment, rotation, and text. You can also use the Format Shape task pane to perform more advanced formatting. Mind Map Maker for Excel can use all of these features as well.

In fact, the mind map templates provided by Mind Map Maker for Excel are all based on the same template. We customize it to give it a unique appearance and feel. You can use these techniques too to create your own mind map template using the various tools provided by Excel.

Create mind maps using SmartArt Graphics

SmartArt Graphics is a feature available in several Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. They allow you to incorporate visual representations of information and ideas into documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. They are pre-designed diagrams and charts that allow you to communicate complex ideas in a clear and concise manner.

Microsoft 365's Web edition does not support SmartArt Graphics.

Here are the steps for creating a mind map with SmartArt Graphics.

1. Start Excel and create a new spreadsheet.
2. Go to the Insert ribbon tab.
3. In the Illustrations group, click SmartArt.
4. There are nine types of graphics: lists, processes, cycles, hierarchies, relationships, matrices, pyramids, and pictures. We will select the Hierarchy category because a mind map is a diagram used to visually organize information into a hierarchy, demonstrating relationships between components of the whole.

   Creating useful mind maps entails drawing a diagram that branches out from a central idea or concept, with related ideas and information linked to the central idea via lines and nodes. Mind mapping is a popular brainstorming technique because it allows for the visualization of relationships between ideas and aids in the generation of innovative ideas.

   In contrast, flow chart analysis is a tool for analyzing and mapping a process or decision-making flow. Decision trees are diagrams that depict various decision options and potential outcomes, whereas flow chart analysis is a visual representation of a process that shows each step and decision point. Mind mapping works best for brainstorming and organizing ideas, while decision trees and flow chart analysis are used to analyze and optimize processes and decision-making flows.

   

5. Choose the horizontal hierarchy. This is used to show hierarchical relationships progressing horizontally. This layout is also the default and basic layout implemented by Mind Map Maker for Excel.
6. Click OK to insert the graphic into the sheet. The "Type your text here" pane allows you to enter descriptive text for each node.

   

7. Click and activate the SmartArt Design ribbon tab.
8. Select the top node in the second level of the new SmartArt graphic, and then pull down the Add Shape menu in the Create Graphic command group.
9. There are five commands here.
   • Add Shape After, Add Shape Before: These two commands add a new node as a sibling of the selected node.
   • Add Shape Above, Add Shape Below: These two commands add a new node that is one level above or below the selected node.
   • Add Assistant: Adds an assistant to your organization chart. This option is only available if you have chosen an organization chart layout, found in the hierarchy category.

   In Mind Map Maker for Excel, nodes are organized using a WBS numbering system, which is an easy way to organize data in a hierarchical style.

   By using the WBS numbering system, you can easily add new nodes and change the parent-child relationships between the nodes.

10. Click and expand the Change Colors menu. The predefined color groups allow you to easily change the color schema of the diagram.

    

    In Mind Map Maker for Excel, colors and styles are based on editable mind map templates. The templates are Excel files too. Our application provides several predefined templates; you can also create your own by copying our file and then updating it. This enables you to easily apply your brand style to your diagrams.

11. Expand the SmartArt Styles list. It shows several predefined styles for the current chart. Click to choose the one you like.

    

12. This is the result we built in this tutorial. Download it.

    

To further customize a SmartArt-based diagram, you can even convert it to basic shapes. This enables you to customize each shape separately. To do this, follow the steps below.

1. Click to select the SmartArt graphic.
2. Go to the SmartArt Design ribbon tab.
3. Click Convert to Shapes in the Reset group. This converts the SmartArt graphic to a shape group.
4. Right-click on the group, choose Group, and then Ungroup.

   

5. Now you can customize each shape in the graphic separately. For example, here, the root node is changed from a rectangle to a circle. Download It.