Visualizing Thoughts with Beautiful Mind Maps

Mind maps are a fantastic way to organize hierarchical information. Unlike linear text, they allow you to see the “big picture” at a glance.

In this post, we’ll explore how to render beautiful, interactive mind maps directly from Markdown lists.

Example 1: Project Structure

Here is a visualization of a Hugo project structure, similar to the one you might see in documentation.

Example 2: Rich Content Features

Mind maps aren’t just for simple text. You can include inline styles, multiline text, code blocks, and even math equations.

How to Write It

The syntax is just standard Markdown lists!

# Root Node
## Branch 1
### Sub-branch A
### Sub-branch B
## Branch 2

The component automatically colors the branches and makes them interactive. You can:

• Zoom in and out
• Pan around the canvas
• Collapse/Expand nodes by clicking the circles

This makes it perfect for:

1. Curriculum Design (showing subject hierarchies)
2. Project Planning (breaking down tasks)
3. Note Taking (summarizing complex topics)