Mermaid Mindmaps for Brainstorming and Planning

Mindmaps in Mermaid

A mindmap is a radial diagram that branches outward from a central idea. Mermaid's mindmap syntax uses indentation to define the hierarchy, making it one of the most intuitive diagram types to write.

Basic Syntax

Mindmaps use indentation (spaces) to create parent-child relationships:

mindmap
  root((Project Ideas))
    Feature A
      Sub-feature 1
      Sub-feature 2
    Feature B
      Sub-feature 3
    Feature C

The root node is defined first, and each level of indentation creates a deeper branch.

Node Shapes

Like flowcharts, mindmap nodes support different shapes:

mindmap
  root((Central Idea))
    [Square]
    (Rounded)
    ))Bang((
    )Cloud(
    {{Hexagon}}

• ((text)) — Circle (typically used for root)
• [text] — Square
• (text) — Rounded rectangle
• ))text(( — Bang / explosion
• )text( — Cloud
• {{text}} — Hexagon

Icons

Add icons using the ::icon() syntax after a node:

mindmap
  root((DevToolbox))
    Formatters
      ::icon(fa fa-code)
      JSON
      YAML
      SQL
    Converters
      ::icon(fa fa-exchange)
      Base64
      URL Encode
    Generators
      ::icon(fa fa-cog)
      UUID
      Hash

A Complete Planning Example

mindmap
  root((Q1 Roadmap))
    Performance
      Lazy loading
      Image optimization
      Bundle analysis
    Features
      Dark mode
      Export to PDF
      Keyboard shortcuts
    Infrastructure
      CI/CD pipeline
      Monitoring
      Staging environment
    Documentation
      API docs
      User guide
      Contributing guide

Tips

1. Keep depth to 3-4 levels — deeper nesting becomes hard to read.
2. Use shapes for emphasis — make action items square, ideas rounded, and urgent items use the bang shape.
3. Start broad, refine later — dump all ideas first, then reorganize branches.
4. Combine with other diagrams — use the mindmap for brainstorming, then convert key branches into flowcharts or Gantt charts for execution.