What Is a Cognitive Map?

A cognitive map is a mental representation of a physical space that helps us understand spatial relationships. In simple terms, it's a mental image. Regarding user experience (UX), cognitive mapping is a diagramming technique that helps UX designers understand how users think about and interact with a product or interface.

Read more: User Experience (UX) Terms: A to Z Glossary

How to draw a cognitive map

Cognitive mapping can be done digitally or using paper, whiteboards, sticky notes, and any artist’s tools like pens, pencils, markers, or crayons. Bullet points, illustrations, charts, diagrams, and abstract shapes are all permissible in this free-form problem-solving style.

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Types of cognitive maps

Cognitive maps help UX designers understand the intricacies involved in user experience. They are tools used to visually represent cognitive processing and externalize knowledge. Through cognitive mapping, you will provide context to conceptual relationships and patterns to identify issues and improve user experience with your design. 

Read more: What is a UX Researcher? How to Get the Job

• Mind maps: Mind maps are the most simplistic form of cognitive mapping. They focus on one central idea and use branches to elaborate on the user’s viewpoint with subtopics and thoughts. This hierarchical structure creates an environment layout similar to a tree structure, where the branches and leaves all connect to a root concept. This arrangement helps connect concepts and ideas to one another.

• Concept maps: Concept maps often follow a stricter chart structure that reads from top to bottom to encourage deeper logical analysis. The main characteristic of this map is the definition of relationships between concepts. As a rule, the map starts with one node, representing a concept that can parent multiple nodes. Labels define relationships between nodes.

Related terms

• Wireframe

• UI vs UX

• Product designer

• UX researcher

• UI design

• Usability

• User journey map

• User story

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