Conceptual mapping is one of the modern teaching strategies that employ a non-linear mode of organising the material to be taught. The aim of the study is to investigate the possibilities of using findings from the field of software development and applying them to the technique of conceptual mapping. The study offers a brief profile of conceptual mapping and draws attention to a series of parallels between the creation of conceptual maps and the creation of an objectively orientated design for a software system. The analytical part of the work is based on the model of semantic memory and looks in detail at the categorisation of relationships between objects and their conceptual representation. Particular attention is devoted to the arrangement of conceptual domains, the properties of the objects mapped and their anchorage in previous knowledge. The resulting approach is projected into the form of a structured map with a centrally located key concept. The final section of the article gives a summary of the benefit of the proposed model and recommendations for teaching practice.