What Is Mind Mapping Software?

[carnachpace]

If your teams and key creative workers are getting bogged down by an increasing workload of rote tasks or maybe simply swamped by too much information in this new world of interconnected big data, then mind mapping software might be able to help. These solutions focus on helping workers ideate, innovate, and even eventually execute.

[jordanemu]

Two products, Bloomfire and Front & Main Honey, emphasize social aspects of traditional knowledge management approaches. Both products have a similar user experience (UX) to those of Facebook and Reddit. You could think of these as social intranets in other words. Their general use involves posting a series of online surveys, questions, or suggestions for colleagues' consideration. Colleagues, in turn, post answers and comments. Anyone can search for past discussion topics, and there's typically a way to "like" and share the most useful threads.

[foyerscraper]

Three other products—Mindjet MindManager 2016 for Windows, Expert Software Applications Mindomo, and XMind—are designed with mind mapping as their main function. Such apps are a mixture of flow charting and project management tools. Among these three, XMind stands out for being based on an open-source platform. Take the same scenarios as stated earlier. Rather than just discussing company ideas in a social environment (perhaps with kludged diagrams), the mind mapping tools let colleagues consider every detail of a plan in a very formal way. They aren't nearly as fun but their structure is more appropriate for conservative corporations—which is to say, most offices, even if the social products are sexier.

[carnachpace]

Mind mapping is simply a visual way to convey your thoughts and ideas. As a concept, mind mapping is widely attributed to inventor Tony Buzan who believes they are the best way to take notes. Buzan says a mind map "harnesses the full range of cortical skills—word, image, number, logic, rhythm, color and spatial awareness—in a single, uniquely powerful manner." In the book, The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain's Untapped Potential," co-author Buzan describes mind maps as "being constructed in a colorful, tree-like fashion."

[jordanemu]

Three other products—Mindjet MindManager 2016 for Windows, Expert Software Applications Mindomo, and XMind—are designed with mind mapping as their main function. Such apps are a mixture of flow charting and project management tools. Among these three, XMind stands out for being based on an open-source platform. Take the same scenarios as stated earlier. Rather than just discussing company ideas in a social environment (perhaps with kludged diagrams), the mind mapping tools let colleagues consider every detail of a plan in a very formal way. They aren't nearly as fun but their structure is more appropriate for conservative corporations—which is to say, most offices, even if the social products are sexier.

We have a few suggestions for how mind mapping products could be more even more useful; these suggestions center around adding artificial intelligence (AI) and wiki integration and beefing up security. In the social-first services, we think an interesting addition would be AI software that scans users' browsing, customer relationship management (CRM), email, and database activities to automatically suggest when useful information should be captured.

[carnachpace]

Two products, Bloomfire and Front & Main Honey, emphasize social aspects of traditional knowledge management approaches. Both products have a similar user experience (UX) to those of Facebook and Reddit. You could think of these as social intranets in other words. Their general use involves posting a series of online surveys, questions, or suggestions for colleagues' consideration. Colleagues, in turn, post answers and comments. Anyone can search for past discussion topics, and there's typically a way to "like" and share the most useful threads.

Because these products are all intended to help manage your team members' big ideas, we think they should include tools for integrating with a wiki. Other than the Bloomfire/Salesforce.com partnership, these products don't yet work deeply with CRM software and human resources (HR) products.

[jonsmaradona]

Mind mapping software is a specialized diagramming tool that allows users to organize brainstorming sessions into topics and relationships. Mind maps are diagrams that break down thought processes into topics, subtopics, and relationships between them by arranging them into simple words and lines. While this can be done by hand, mind mapping tools are available on multiple devices, allow for easy digital storage, and can offer other features that facilitate collaboration.

[nicajose]

We have a few suggestions for how mind mapping products like 8rental car could be more even more useful; these suggestions center around adding artificial intelligence