Meeting notes that keep decisions in view

Prepare four branches

Put the meeting's purpose and date in the center. Create branches for discussion, decisions, open questions, and next actions. These distinguish a suggestion from a commitment before the conversation starts.

Keep the agenda and relevant links in the main node's notes. If the meeting already has an official shared document, treat your map as personal working notes and keep the official record up to date separately.

Capture the difference between an idea and a decision

Imagine a research group discussing a pilot study. “We could recruit through the newsletter” belongs under discussion. “Use the newsletter for the first recruitment round” belongs under decisions only once the group has actually agreed.

For each decision, record the rationale and any condition that would make the group reconsider. For each action, write a specific outcome, an owner, and a due date. Do not rely on the spatial position or color to communicate responsibility.

A longer explanation can live inside expanded notes in Mappy while the canvas keeps a short, readable label. A checklist can help you review your own follow-up, but it does not notify the other person or create a calendar reminder.

Before everyone leaves, read back the commitments

• What did we decide?
• What remains unresolved?
• Who is doing what, and by when?
• Where will the final result be recorded?

If an owner or deadline is missing, ask while the group is still together. Guessing afterward can turn neat notes into an inaccurate record.

Do not record sensitive details simply because there is room for them. Follow your organization's rules for personal notes, research data, and approved storage.

Send a short summary, not an unexplained canvas

Afterward, write the decisions and actions in plain text or an agreed shared document. If a map adds context, export a readable version alongside the summary. The recipients should not have to learn your app to discover their next action.

Mappy is a local Mac tool, not a live multi-user meeting board, transcription service, or team task manager. It can help you organize the conversation, but use the team's existing systems for assignment, reminders, and collaboration.

At the next meeting, review the previous decisions before starting a new map. That simple habit can be more useful than adding more branches to the archive.