SyNTHESIS / ANALySIS TECHNIqUE 16 Concept Mapping Concept mapping is a visual framework that allows designers to absorb new concepts into an existing understanding of a domain so that new meaning can be made. 1 A concept map is a sense-making tool that connects a large number of ideas, objects, and events as they relate to a certain domain. It provides a scaffolding that can help designers visualize the complex- ities of a system, and assists them as they make and break connections, study existing connections, and expand on what is already understood but possibly taken for granted within a particular system. Concept maps consist of individual concepts (a well-understood idea, object, or event; usually a noun or noun cluster) connected by linking words (usually a verb). When linking words connect two or more concepts, a proposition is formed that creates a meaningful statement. As propositions emerge, some relationships may reflect knowledge that is already understood, but others will represent new knowl- edge. 2 The power of the concept map is that it brings new connections into focus within the context of already understood information. As new insights are formed, designers can study relationships between old and new concepts, revealing new meaning as it relates to the domain. To construct a concept map, it is important to have a good understanding of the domain. If one's understanding of the concepts is limited, it will be difficult to make meaningful interconnections with linking words. 3 Also, articulating the correct focus question is a key step that will provide context and structure to the map. "How do people share pictures" and "How do people want to share pictures" 1. While researching how children learn new concepts and information, David Ausubel determined that learning is more meaningful when new information is assimilated into existing frameworks that children already grasp. While seeking a better way to represent the learning process, what emerged was the idea of visually representing children's knowledge in the form of a concept map. See: Ausubel, David P. The Psychology of Meaningful Verbal Learning. New York and London: Grune and Stratton, 1963. 2. Ausubel, David, Joseph D. Novak, and H. Hanesian. Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View, 2nd ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1978.