# Polymind: Parallel Visual Diagramming with Large Language Models to Support Prewriting Through Microtasks

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.09577 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.09577/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 13 Feb 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Narrix: Remixing Narrative Strategies from Examples for Story Writing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.07643/) (2026)
- [Exploring Agentic Workflows for Generating High Quality Math Visual Aids](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.09839/) (2026)
- [Designing Proactive Thought Partners for Writing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.01588/) (2026)
- [Towards Cognitive Process-Aware Proactive Writing Support](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.30424/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Prewriting is the process of generating and organising ideas before a first draft. It consists of a combination of informal, iterative, and semi-structured strategies such as visual diagramming, which poses a challenge for collaborating with large language models (LLMs) in a turn-taking conversational manner. We present Polymind, a visual diagramming tool that leverages multiple LLM-powered agents to support prewriting. The system features a parallel collaboration workflow in place of the turn-taking conversational interactions. It defines multiple ``microtasks'' to simulate group collaboration scenarios such as collaborative writing and group brainstorming. Instead of repetitively prompting a chatbot for various purposes, Polymind enables users to orchestrate multiple microtasks simultaneously. Users can configure and delegate customised microtasks, and manage their microtasks by specifying task requirements and toggling visibility and initiative. Our evaluation revealed that, compared to ChatGPT, users had more customizability over collaboration with Polymind, and were thus able to quickly expand personalised writing ideas during prewriting.