The brain likes to keep things simple. Then it knows just what to focus on. And remember. When there's a ton of information, it's far too easy to get distracted. Or confused. Or just plain tired.

That's one reason synthesis images are so helpful. They make things simple so you can easily understand and remember them. Because they're visual, you literally see the whole picture. That means you get to see how things are connected or related. And new ideas and insights are more likely to occur.

Here's a super simple synthesis image of a few major headlines and topics of 2014.