Thinking in Pictures

(image from Logotron)

I've been doing a little light research in the area of mindmapping—specifically looking at a small crop of tools such as software that enables anyone do create these types of visuals rapidly and digitally.  Here are a few:

Visual Mind
Logotron
Mindmapper

And actually, here is an entire archive thanks to Innovation Tools.

Mindmapping isn't as fancy as it sounds.  It's basically taking inventory of thoughts and ideas and showing the relationship between them visually vs. jotting them down in a linear list or bullet type fashion.  Mindmaps aren't just useful for internal exercises, they can also  be nice way to "get into the heads" of customers. By doing customer mindmaps, you can quickly communicate what's important to the customer—what is in their own little "micro universe".

I think the software options are a good idea as going digital allows us to share and modify mindmaps rapidly.  And like the example above—I think the more successful maps will include iconic visuals for immediate communication.  The software options are nice to have—but if you are a planner or strategist and want to use this type of technique—it wouldn't hurt to befriend your nearest information designer.

Comments

[Lee McEwan]

Thanks for the links David, I hadn't come across Logotron before. Don't you love that name? It sounds like a company that would make software for the Vic 20!

I've been using Visual Mind for a while now and can recommend it. It exports nicely powerpoint and word so you can share your maps easily with others. The shortcut keys allow you to quickly create new branches and rapidly populate a map.

I tend to use it at the start of projects for throwing down unstructured thoughts about a subject as they occur to me. I've found it particularly useful when planning longer, more complex documents where you wish to nest loads of ideas under each other.

Mind maps give you much more flexibility than a text editor can when it comes to drafting documents because it is much easier to move chunks of thoughts around whilst maintaining a decent overview.

[Daniel Nadeau]

I've used OmniGraffle for the Mac for several years now, and, while I always start with pen and paper, it's perfect for digiting mind maps. It can also bee used to quickly 'sketch' up wireframes.

[leisa.reichelt]

I've also been getting into mindmaps a lot lately. My current tool of choice is MindManager.

I use them at lots of different stages of the project, but mostly (of course) it's about eliciting, gathering and grouping pieces of information so that they're easier to synthesise/analyse.

I've also been using them as a research tool lately, in a participatory kind of way with people that I'm interviewing. Those ones tend to have lots of pictures (drawings) and colourful post it notes included! (more fun!)

[DA]

Daniel, I should check out Omnigraffle for Mac.

Leisa, I like the sound of how you are using the technique (in a participatory way)—makes total sense. People react to visuals with more depth.

Lee, Nice reference with the Vic 20! Man, you just showed your age. :)

then again, so did I