Brainstorming can be a unique way to develop new ideas, workflows, and new opportunities for your business. However, organizing a variety of business solution tips and useful information can be challenging. This is where mind mapping software comes in, allowing you to draw all of that. Some are available only for individual use for organizing projects, others are collaboration features for business users. Ultimately, concept mapping software is not just adding ideas to a list, but associating processes with suggestions and defining ways to improve efficiency, productivity, or customer service. This means that whatever concept mapping software you use is likely to take a schematic form in which workflows and clear results can be highlighted, modified or replaced as needed, allowing you to keep a summary. it can then be written into a project management report. or a similar presentation. Here are the best mapping programs.
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Image credit: literature and ribbon. (Image credit: Scapple)
1.Scaple
Cheap, lightweight and can be mastered in minutes Easy to use Inexpensive Basic feature set. Scapple enjoys the uniqueness of being developed by writers for writers. The group 'Literature and Latte & # 39; was formed in 2006 with the sole purpose of offering writers an easy way to develop their skills. The result is one of the best known mind mapping tools on the market to date. In its first release, Scapple prompts users to double-click anywhere on the blank canvas to create a note. You can repeat this process as many times as you like to download your initial "brain dump". Scapple also supports importing text files, PDFs, and even images. You can then determine how to associate different ideas. Scapple was particularly appreciated for its ease in mastering other mind mapping software due to its small number of mind mapping tools. However, this means that more advanced features, such as audio and video integration, are not supported. Although the program itself is lightweight, Scapple won't weigh down your bag. There is a 30-day free trial, which only counts the number of days of using the software. After that, a standard license costs €14.99 (€17) per platform. Teaching licenses are €12 (€13.60).
(Image credit: Mindomo)
2. Mindomo
Mindomo has a wide range of features Excellent free level Export to other formats Takes time to master Mindomo was released in March 2014. The stated goal of its developers is to create "useful, easy-to-use and aesthetically pleasing software". Although beauty is subjective, most users will be pleased to see that the free version of the software supports the creation of up to 3 mind maps, which includes all the basic features. Premium users benefit from a range of additional features at the free tier, such as syncing projects like iOS/Android, creating audio and video content, and backing up to cloud-based services like Dropbox. . Mindomo also allows paid subscribers to export mind maps in a variety of formats, including images (PNG), Adobe PDF (PDF), plain text (TXT), and Microsoft Powerpoint (PPTX). The program can also import data from various file formats. If you need to collaborate on a project, "Professional" subscriptions allow 1 user and up to 5 guests. All Mindomo paid subscriptions support password protection of mind maps so you and your team can view them. Premium subscriptions cost €42 per user for 6 months, which includes a 1GB storage fee. Business subscriptions cost €105 and offer a generous quota of 5GB. Although these advanced features are recognized by the online community, Mindomo has been criticized for its basic interface, which offers little guidance to new users.
(Image credit: Bubbl.us)
3. Bubble.us
A nice cloud-based mind mapping service, but beware of problems. Cloud-based (instant setup) Simple interface A few small bugs Bubbl.us is a cloud-based mind mapping service and can be accessed from virtually any internet-enabled device. Its existence is due to a flash of inspiration from the founder of the project & # 39; Levon & # 39 ;. In college, he flipped through a copy of David Allen's "Getting Things Done" and discovered a chapter on brainstorming. Levon started doing it in pen and paper, but later teamed up with programmer 'Kirill'. To start the development of Bubbl.us. The beauty of Bubbl.us lies in its simplicity: the service is designed for concept mapping, eliminating redundant functionality. Since it is cloud based, there is no software to download. Users can get started right away, and the project's website says it includes millions of musicians, artists, writers, teachers, and people with dyslexia. Like Mindomo, Bubbl.us offers a free tier that supports up to 3 concept maps with basic features. The Premium tier costs €4.91 per month per user, if paid annually, and allows for real-time collaboration as well as revision history. There is also a 30-day free trial to try out more advanced features. Online reviews on Bubbl.us praise the fact that it is online and cross-platform, making it a very popular tool among students and teachers. Some reviewers have complained about lag issues when using Bubbl.us on mobile, as well as difficulties moving multiple bubbles at once.
(Image credit: Corel)
4. Mind Manager
Mind mapping software for serious business users. Microsoft Office integration Produce professional mind maps. Relatively expensive MindManager stands on the shoulders of giants acquired by software giant Corel (CorelDRAW brand) in 2015. It is designed primarily for business users and has been adopted by big names like Proctor and Gamble. As a business-oriented program, MindManager can be integrated with Microsoft Office. In fact, the general interface will be very familiar to Word and PowerPoint users, including the built-in text editor and spreadsheet. Users are discovering this feature progressively, since on first launch, MindManager only shows a virtual whiteboard from which you can easily add ideas and drag them around. Cards can be accessed through an easy-to-use dashboard. The overall look is extremely professional, meaning the finished card will suit everything from book notes to a board meeting presentation. This professional pedigree does not come cheap. The Windows version of MindManager costs €327 per license, but the Mac version is about half the price. The less-featured Mac version is just $209. Whichever version you choose, a 30-day free trial will let you check if you and/or your team are comfortable with the interface. This is especially important if users are new to Microsoft Office.
(Image credit: XMind)