Mermaid Mindmap for Brainstorming Requirements
Brainstorm requirements as a mindmap by typing plain text. Goals, features and open questions for an online shop's wish list feature, made in the free Mermaid live editor, where the indents shape the map.
Step by step
Brainstorm as text
- Mindmap from text. A mindmap keeps goals, features and open questions in one picture, so a brainstorm stays tidy. Here we build one in the free Mermaid live editor for an online shop's wish list feature.
The root
- The root. Clear the editor and type mindmap on the first line. On the next line, indented 4 spaces, type root((Wish list)). The double round brackets make the root a circle. The map shows one circle in the middle, labelled Wish list. Every other idea will grow out of it.
mindmap root((Wish list))
Branches
- Indents make children. In a mindmap, the indent is the syntax. Type Goals at 8 spaces, so it sits under the root. Then type Bring shoppers back and Raise sales at 12 spaces, so they sit under Goals. Goals branches off the root, and both goals hang off Goals. There are no arrows to type. The spaces decide what belongs to what.
Goals Bring shoppers back Raise sales - Features. Next, type Features back at 8 spaces, the same as Goals. Under it, at 12 spaces, add Save an item, Share the list and Price drop alert. Features appears as a second branch in its own colour. Mermaid places every idea for you, so you never drag boxes around.
Features Save an item Share the list Price drop alert
Open questions
- Questions. Last, add the open questions for your stakeholders. Type Questions at 8 spaces, then Guest users? and How many items? at 12 spaces. The full brainstorm is now on screen: 1 root, 3 branches, and every idea under its parent.
Questions Guest users? How many items? - Read the map. Read the map like an analyst. Goals say why, Features say what, and Questions such as Guest users? show what you still need to ask before anyone builds it.
- Edit in seconds. When a new idea comes up in the workshop, add a line under the right branch at the right indent, for example under Price drop alert's branch, and the map redraws.
Recap
- The rules. The rules: start with mindmap, put the root in double round brackets, and indent each idea under its parent. Keep goals, features and questions on their own branches.
Common mistakes
- Leaving out the mindmap line. Mermaid uses the first line to decide which kind of diagram to draw. Without mindmap at the top, the map won't render and the editor shows an error.
- Using single round brackets for the root. root(Wish list) gives a rounded box, not a circle. Use double round brackets, root((Wish list)), to get the circle.
- Two lines at the root's indent. A mindmap can have only 1 root. If a branch like Goals is typed with the same number of spaces as the root, Mermaid shows an error. Indent every branch further than the root.
- Uneven spaces on the same level. Mermaid puts each line under the nearest line above it that has fewer spaces. Give items on the same level the same number of spaces, or some can end up under the wrong parent.
When a business analyst uses this
In a requirements workshop, share the Mermaid live editor on screen and type ideas under Goals, Features or Questions as people say them. The map updates as you type, and the Questions branch becomes your list of points to settle with stakeholders before you write user stories.
Questions people ask
How do you make a mindmap in Mermaid?
Type mindmap on the first line, then a root such as root((Wish list)). Put each idea on its own line below, indented more than its parent.
How does indentation work in a Mermaid mindmap?
A line indented more than the line above becomes its child. Give items on the same level the same number of spaces, or they can end up under the wrong parent.
How do you make the root node a circle in a Mermaid mindmap?
Wrap the text in double round brackets, like root((Wish list)). Single round brackets give a rounded box instead.
