Concept mapping is a visual technique for representing the relationships between ideas, concepts, and pieces of knowledge. Developed by Joseph Novak at Cornell University in the 1970s as a tool for science education, it has become valuable in UX and service design for making complex domain knowledge legible, for structuring content architecture, and for capturing expert knowledge during research. Unlike mind maps that radiate from a single central idea, concept maps are networked structures where any node can connect to any other.
What It Is
A concept map consists of nodes (concepts) connected by labelled links (relationships). The labels on the links are crucial: they describe the nature of the relationship between concepts, making the map a set of meaningful propositions rather than a mere clustering of related terms. A concept map for a healthcare product might show how 'patient' relates to 'appointment' ('books a'), 'appointment' relates to 'clinician' ('is delivered by'), and 'clinician' relates to 'patient record' ('accesses').
How to Run It
- Define the domain or question the concept map will address.
- Identify ten to twenty key concepts relevant to the domain — write each on a separate node.
- Draw connections between related concepts and label each connection with a relationship phrase.
- Look for cross-links: connections between concept groups that were not initially obvious.
- Refine the map iteratively by showing it to domain experts and asking what is missing or incorrect.
- Use the finalised map to inform information architecture, content hierarchy, or navigation structure.
When to Use It
Concept mapping is most useful when designing content-heavy or knowledge-intensive products — educational platforms, documentation systems, healthcare information, government services, or enterprise knowledge bases. It is also effective as an expert interview technique: asking a domain expert to build a concept map with you during an interview often surfaces tacit knowledge that direct questions miss.
Tips for Success
- Label the links between concepts explicitly — unlabelled connections in a concept map carry no more information than a mind map.
- Build concept maps collaboratively with the people who hold the relevant domain knowledge.
- Use concept maps as a shared reference throughout content design: they prevent inconsistent terminology and fragmented information architecture.
- Revisit and refine the map as the team's understanding of the domain deepens during research.
