Synoptic Table Template
Break down intimidating and complex concepts into small, manageable parts.
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About the Synoptic Table Template
When you just start working on a new project or concept, things can get overwhelming pretty quickly. You need tried-and-true tools and methods to collaborate effectively and move from one logical conclusion to the next.
A synoptic table helps you and your team analyze and classify complex ideas, create a logical hierarchy for them, and visualize connections between the individual parts. It’s a straightforward way to bring clarity to projects and reduce chaos.
What is a synoptic table?
A synoptic table is also known as a classification tree or classification chart. It illustrates the hierarchy of a complex object or topic, showing its individual parts or subtopics and how they relate to the whole. A synoptic table reduces confusion and enables you to easily distinguish between primary and secondary concepts.
With synoptic tables, you can travel from a broad, abstract idea to a multitude of more practical sub-ideas and shape an actionable strategy based on that. This type of diagram, similar to a concept map, allows teams to sharpen their focus and clearly communicate their plan or project to others.
When should you use a synoptic table?
A synoptic table is a simple yet powerful visual tool when it comes to analyzing and developing ideas in a group. It allows you to seamlessly move from the big picture to the small details and back without losing the thread.
Synoptic tables are often used during the following types of team meetings and strategy sessions:
Brainstorming
Research
Presentations
Planning
Workshops
You can rely on a synoptic table if you need to analyze an object and see what it’s made of. You can also use a synoptic table to organize and classify niche concepts and group them under the umbrella of the main object.
Who can use a synoptic table?
Synoptic tables are useful for all knowledge workers, especially:
Students
Creatives
Teachers
Marketers
Developers
HR
Consultants
Strategists
Project managers
Synoptic tables often pop up in two types of situations — when one person is communicating something to a group and when a group is planning a project. Chances are, you’ve seen synoptic tables from textbooks and reports because that’s where they’re used most. However, they also come in handy in less formal settings.
Say you want to create a synoptic table to break down the concept of mushroom foraging. In that case, your subtopics would be “traveling to a nearby forest,” “checking with a mushroom guide,” “using a compass or a mobile phone to navigate,” and “cleaning the mushrooms before bringing them home.”
How to use the Synoptic Table Template
Miro makes it easy for remote and hybrid teams to unite their efforts and seamlessly exchange ideas in a shared workspace. Together with your team, you can create a comprehensive synoptic table to clarify a complex topic or develop an action plan.
Miro has over 300 customizable templates you can use for free, including this Synoptic Table Template. You can easily replace the default values with your own and even adjust the template’s look. This is the quickest way for you to create a professional-looking synoptic table and bring clarity to your projects.
Here’s how to go about it:
1. Select the template.
2. Start building your synoptic table structure. Add the main topic into a box or shape. What problem are you trying to solve? From there, add more related ideas in hierarchical order to show the links between the primary and secondary concepts.
3. Elaborate on each of the topics by inserting additional branches to your synoptic table.
4. Encourage your stakeholders to leave feedback using comments, sticky notes, and emojis.
5. Once you’re done, you can use the Presentation mode to present your finished table to a larger audience.
If you want to run an intensive workshop or a brainstorming session, consider using the Miro timer to track time and motivate the participants to deliver as many ideas as quickly as possible. You can always make adjustments to your synoptic table and further develop your initial ideas with each iteration.
What’s the difference between a synoptic table and a classification tree?
A classification tree is always vertical, whereas a synoptic table can have a horizontal orientation. Classification trees are often used in biology to show how different species are related to a common ancestor. You can also see classification trees being used in machine learning.
Is a synoptic table a classification mind map?
Synoptic tables, just like mind maps, help classify objects and visualize the relationships between them. The former has a top-down design — the main subject is always placed at the top of the diagram. Classification mind maps, in turn, are centered around the main topic, so they’re circular rather than linear.
What’s the difference between a synoptic table and a content map?
Both diagrams are similar in function — they bring clarity when generating and developing ideas. Concept maps are all about relationships and connections between new ideas. They’re more actionable and informative than synoptic tables because they also describe how concepts are related. They often contain not just lines but whole phrases depicting how one concept affects the other.
Get started with this template right now.