Arrange the brainstorm diagram

You can arrange a brainstorm diagram by adding or moving nodes or changing the layout of the diagram.

In This Topic

Add affinities, siblings, and children
Move affinities, siblings, and children
Change the layout of the diagram
Display levels vertically on a CT tree
Move nodes on a mind map

Add affinities, siblings, and children

Depending on the diagram, a node can represent an affinity, a cause, an idea, or an input. When you add a node, you must determine how it relates to other nodes on the diagram.

Note

In the web app: To add siblings and children in the web app, select the node, then select Add Sibling or Add Child .

Select a node on the diagram.
Right-click and then add one of the following options.
- Affinity: Adds a node to the main branch of the diagram. To quickly add a node to the main branch, double-click anywhere on the diagram.
- Sibling: Adds a node to the same level as the selected node.
- Child: Adds a node to the level below the selected node. The selected node becomes the parent of the new node.
To prioritize an affinity, a cause, an idea, or an input, select it, then choose Brainstorm > Priority.

Tip

To quickly add affinities to a diagram, select a node, then press the Insert key. To add siblings, press the Enter key.
To add a symbol, such as the sigma or a registered trademark to a diagram, copy the symbol from the Windows Character Map, then paste it in the diagram.

Move affinities, siblings, and children

When you move affinities, siblings, and children to different nodes, the target node becomes the parent.

To move an affinity, sibling, or a child, select it, then drag it to a different node. When you move a node that has sublevels, the sublevels move with it.
In the desktop app, to move a node to the other side of the diagram, select the node and choose Brainstorm > Switch Sides.
In the web app, select a node, then a select the option to Move Up, Move Down, Move Left or Move Right.

Change the layout of the diagram

You can change the layout of a brainstorm diagram by changing its type. For example, you can change a fishbone diagram to a mind map, or you can change a mind map to a CT tree. When you change the layout of any brainstorm diagram, Workspace retains the relationships between the levels.

Note

In the web app: To change the layout of the diagram, select Display in the task pane. Under Brainstorm, select the type of brainstorm to display. For more information about brainstorm types, go to Brainstorming.

Choose Brainstorm > Type.
From Type, choose a layout. Right Tree or Left Tree converts any layout to a right-facing or left-facing idea map.

Display levels vertically on a CT tree

On a CT tree only, you can choose the level at which nodes begin to display vertically.

Note

In the web app: To change the levels vertically on a CT tree, select Display in the task pane. Under Brainstorm, add or subtract Outline Levels.

On a CT tree, choose Brainstorm > Outline Levels.
From Outline Levels, choose a level. In this CT tree example, the nodes start to display vertically at the fourth level.

Move nodes on a mind map

Use Clockwise and Counter- clockwise buttons to improve the layout of a mind map.

Note

In the web app: To move nodes on a mind map, select the child node to move, then select Rotate Clockwise or Rotate Counterclockwise .

Select the node to move, then choose the best rotation.

Choose Brainstorm > Clockwise to move the selected node clockwise around the parent node.
Choose Brainstorm > Counter- clockwise to move the selected node counterclockwise around the parent node.

You can also select the Clockwise or Counter- clockwise icons that appear on the node.