Apr
29
Mobile Mind Mapping Rediscovered
Posted under Productivity
One idea generation method you can use to organize your thoughts and actions is Mind Mapping. The traditional way to do it is to get a box of colored pencils and a big sheet of paper and start drawing. This might not work for many, including me, because I’ll never carry around a box of colored pencils. That’s why mind-mapping software is available.
But if you really want to go on the road with your mind mapping efforts, you should check out Pocket MindMap. I dusted off my old copy the other night when I was stressing about what needed to be done before I released Achieve-IT! desktop. I had tried listing the steps, but the list wasn’t cutting it. So I loaded it on my Pocket PC and started the map.
Surprisingly, in about 15 minutes I had my map complete and a solid starting point for the next day. The software has improved over the years. Making the map was a lot more fun and enjoyable than I remember in the 1.2 version. But it was still effective back then.
How it works:
You start out with a subject in the middle of the screen that you would reword to the "idea" you want to brainstorm. From there, you would branch off your various sub-ideas. You can add these topics using the "Add topic" menu command or you can simulate "Brainstorm mode" by choosing the "Add
Multiple"
Your
branches appear off the main subject making it look like a mind map. You can position and reposition the topics in just about any way you
want. The bezier curves are
reminiscent of the MindManager desktop and like Pocket MindManager; you can add
symbols (codes) like smiley faces, thumbs up and 82 other icons.
Many
of the mapping options and customization comes from tapping and holding a
subject or branch. In so doing a
quick menu will pop up allowing you to create a new topic, add multiple topics
or edit the topic in question. Also available from this menu is the Marker option. This adds or changes the topic highlight to a color of your choice. Scribble feature lets you scribble a picture
or doodle and attach it to the idea. Reference
lets you "point" from one topic to another.
An
interesting feature pops up when you tap and hold the white background of the
map. An "Add Floating
text" option appears, letting you add an idea or thought that isn’t
attached to the map at all. I don’t
know if this serves any purpose, but it sure looks cool.
Pocket
MindMap offers several export abilities including saving a map as a graphics
bitmap file BMP and exporting to XML and now you can port directly to MindManager software. There
is also the ability for task brainstormers to export their tasks to Pocket
Outlook’s task list.
After reading through some of their forums, it seems the main complaint people seem to have with Pocket Mindmap is it’s price. I’ll admit, it was a little on the high side for me too. At US $42 it might be a little steep for some. But there is a trial available you can use in the meantime.
Technorati Tags: mindmapping, ideas, creativity, thinking, gtd
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Comments
I first learned mind-mapping as a creative writing technique back in college. I’ve since found it to be a great way to design and structure websites.
My favorite software is FreeMind. It’s a cross-platform program whose price can’t be beat: $0.00.
http://freemind.sourceforge.net
You can work on your maps in the graphical interface and then export them as a structured list.
I highly recommend it.