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Mind Mapping from Brian Johnson
A short YouTube clip from Brian Johnson on how he does Mind Mapping, essentially with Pen and Paper.
Powerful stuff!
Are you mindmapping on your iPhone ?
I've started looking for mindmapping apps for the iPhone. I need something to structure my thoughts and ideas both at home and at work.
So far I've tried ThinkingMap and iThoughts. Both ok, but not "perfect". Which mindmapping app are you using ? Why ? What's its strengths and weaknesses ? What in particular are you fond of ? Let me know, I need a strong tool for this :)
Darren Rowse uses Mind Mapping. Cool...!
I was interested, but not surprised to see that Darren Rowse (Problogger) uses mind mapping when coming up with topics to blog about. I recently opened a link that was tweeted to me where Darren was being interviewed about blogging. Have a look at this link for the interview.
Don't be fooled by the site. It is a promotional site but at the same time the interview was for real and had good information. It was very interesting straight through but I was most pleasantly intrigued when Darren talked about his experiences with mind mapping. I have been using this technique myself for years. (I also liked that he doesn't work over the weekends, which is something that I took up in 2004. Before that I was working eight days a week!) Anyway, I digress... I really wish that I could say that I was some sort of master mind mapper but actually I am not doing Mind Mapping as I really should. For instance, I don't often leave a mind map and let it wait and then come back to it like I should - so I am probably not using the technique to the best of my ability. But I do use a form of mind mapping almost daily. I always get a surge when I find that intelligent people use this incredible tool!
Simple and beautiful GTD Mind Mapping with MindNode
I need to admit that I haven't been a great mind mapper in the past. This had several reasons: I felt it did not support my way of brainstorming and I simply found all mind maps to look like, yah, ... shit. Partially I've been also overwhelmed by the endless feature set of products such as MindJet's MindManager or disgusted by clunky user interfaces of FreeMind or Xmind. This was until I've recently came across MindNode Pro. It changed a lot for me and all of a sudden mind mapping wasn't only beautiful and simple, it started to make sense. Obviously also my creative thinking process has changed over the years and mind mapping now comes more natural to me, but MindNode Pro made me start practicing it.
MindNode Pro is developed by Markus Müller (@mindnode), a software developer from Vienna, Austria. He is doing a great job in supporting his user base and has recently engaged in creating a iPhone version of MindNode called MindNode touch, which is said to be close to release. While there is a free desktop version, you definitely should invest the 15 US$ into the Pro version which gives you the right, albeit minimal feature set you'll need for solid mind mapping.
Pure Mind Mapping
There isn't actually much to say about the feature set of MindNode Pro. It offers the essentials of mind mapping, great and pleasing user interface, strong support of keyboard short-cuts and zero bells and whistles. And this is exactly what I have looked for so long: Simple and pure mind mapping. No pictures, notes or ugly clipart. No priority settings, icons or document attachments. For many this might be a no-go since they may be looking for as many features as possible but for those simply looking into an easy-to-use mind mapping software, MindNode Pro is just right. I would urge the developer to continue down this path of reduction to the essentials and not get tempted to create another "all-encompassing" mind mapping software.
Strong Import/Export
If there is something to point out than it is MindNode Pro's simply and easy import/export feature. You can easily create images or PDFs of your mind maps for sharing, but even more important you can import and export OPML files. This allows you to take your brainstorming results and detail them in an outlining software such as OmniOutliner or the other way around.
MindNode vs. MindNode Pro
The free version of MindNode offers you very, very basic features but enough to create mind maps. The Pro version adds various, but still basic features (that's what it is about, right?) such as automatic reorganisation of nodes, folding and unfolding of nodes plus a number of more preference settings. Just the option to fold and unfold notes makes you want to buy the Pro version at its modest price.
Mind Mapping in GTD
In GTD I now use MindNode Pro on a regular basis for mainly two different purposes:
- Managing my higher levels of perspective at 20-50.000ft (Areas of Responsibility, Goals, Vision, Purpose & Values)
- Brainstorming projects (outcome, guiding principles, high-level considerations of what needs to be done and who needs to involved).
With my higher-level perspectives I regular pull out the files and review, re-validate and alter my mind maps that give me a very simple and nice access to those things relevant on the various levels. I've recently send a PNG of my mind map covering my professional Areas of Responsibilities to my manager to support our yearly goal setting conversation. It did a great job. When brainstorming projects I very often export the MindNode Pro mind map as OPML and load it into OmniOutliner Pro to organise and detail-out my thoughts. Very handy. So go and check out MindNode Pro if you are looking for simple and beautiful mind mapping. It's very much to mind mapping what TaskPaper is to list management: Reduced to the minimum.
Check This Out - Slatebox :: Visualize Everything
via slatebox.com
I've been hearing recently about a renewed interest in mindmapping to flesh out ideas and concepts (for websites, or just to facilitate thought processes). Steve Rubel (steverubel.com) claims he uses them frequently.
Now here comes Slatebox, a new beta web app with embeddable mindmap widgets and real-time collaboration. I haven't tried this out yet, but have been paging through the demos, and so far it looks like a neat idea.
Have you tried this? If so, what do you think?
How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation [The Mindjet Blog]
via blog.mindjet.com
Sidebar note: I like Mindjet and MindMeister on the mapping front..don't use them enough.
The Mindjet Blog » The Secrets of Using Colors in Maps
via blog.mindjet.com
A great post from Michael Deutch on the Mindjet Blog about using colours in mapping. The principles can be used for a number of purposes. Some handy colour selection tools are referred and pointed to.
Remember, color can work for you or against you! Use it wisely to get attention, create the right mood, and enhance clarity and understanding.
Interesting Reading: 2/13
FASTforward - 09 Interview: Christian Finn, product manager, Sharepoint,
Microsoft
http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2009/02/12/fastforward09-interview-christian-finn-product-manager-sharepoint-microsoft/
"Christian weighs in, from a Microsoft perspective, on the rise of social
computing in the enterprise and its implications for organizations. As he
and others note, consumer adoption of social sites and tools have put
pressure on companies to contend with new issues, think hard on how to
provide such services to their employees, and wrestle with their concerns
about losing control. But, says Christian here, the reality is
corporations don't actually work in that hierarchical construct and that
it's a false mental model to say they ever really did. He goes on to
discuss the benefits of unlocking these tools and technologies, how social
computer in the enterprise is enabling knowledgeable people within
organizations to connect and surface useful information, and suggests that
the theme of the conference - "Engage Your User" - might even be a
"half-note" off
That it's more about creating an environment where users
can engage each other and help themselves and their organizations."
"...Has your IT deparment unlocked these capabilities..."
--------
Tech Job Listings Finally Tick Upwards
http://www.businessinsider.com/tech-job-listings-finally-tick-upwards-2009-2
"A touch of good news for tech workers (and the tech industry): Job
listings at Dice.com, probably the premier site for programmers, systems
analysts, and project managers accustomed to working for the enterprise
(as opposed to startups) rose 3.1% in Feb."
--------
GOOD Q&A: Cameron Sinclair
http://www.good.is/?p=15496
"Cameron Sinclair founded Architecture for Humanity 10 years ago this
April, with the elegantly simple - though thoroughly revolutionary - idea of
applying the best in design thinking to the people in the world who need
it most: refugees, disaster victims, and the global poor.
After winning the TED Prize in 2006, Sinclair launched the Open
Architecture Network, an extension of his vision that would provide
architects and designers with online resources for managing their
projects, sharing insights, and collaborating on a global scale. The
organization also issues an annual challenge. This year's contest: design
the classroom of the future.
Fresh off the plane from the World Economic Summit in Davos, Switzerland,
Sinclair spoke to us on the eve of the 2009 TED Conference in Long Beach,
California."
I met Cameron briefly this fall in Providence. A fascinating, yet totally
down to earth guy.
--------
The 2009 Creativity 50
http://creativity-online.com/?action=theissue:section§Id=595
"Welcome to the fourth annual Creativity 50. As always, our intention is
to stock this list with those people who made a significant mark on the
creative consciousness of our industry and our culture as a whole. They
are ad creatives, filmmakers, image makers, artists, game and tech
pioneers, and others who just made us think differently about some
established way of doing things.
Our philosophy of including people from the widest possible sphere of
endeavor means, of course, that we leave many great people from any given
discipline off the list. Regrettable. But it also means that there's more
mind-expanding perspective and opinion per page. Given how much your jobs
have expanded and how many more things you've got your fingers into, we're
sure you'll find a lot of the talk from our 50 honorees not only generally
inspiring, but directly applicable to your own lives."
--------
Integrate Gmail & Google Docs with Mindjet MindManager 8
http://blog.mindjet.com/2009/02/integrate-gmail-google-docs-with-mindmanager
"First, here's a quick MindManager tip. You can easily drag any URL (e.g.
your Gmail account) from your browser directly onto a map or on a topic
within a map. This is a fast and easy way to add links to maps and it
works with most, if not all browsers.
Now, for the exciting stuff. I created a map to quickly test MindManager
8s integration with the following Google applications:
+ Gmail
+ Google Docs
+ Google Presentations
+ Google Spreadsheets
+ Google Reader
What I like most about these Google Doc examples is that they are all
collaborative. In other words, you not only link files to your maps but
other members of your team can access and update the files too. Think
about the possibilities! Updated progress reports, project status,
finanical summaries, etc
"
---------
Ginx Reinvents Twitter's Interface For The Sake Of Sharing
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/02/11/ginx-reinvents-twitters-interface-for-the-sake-of-sharing/
"...Functionally, Ginx is a replacement for the experience of using
Twitter at Twitter.com. The small development team behind Ginx has used
Twitter's API to rebuild virtually all of the functionality found at
Twitter.com. And then it has gone a few steps further to make sharing
links easier and more powerful.
For example, when you look at tweets in Ginx, you don't see TinyURLs that
obfuscate their destinations. Rather, Ginx pulls out the original URL and
displays it alongside the webpage's title and an image from the page, if
available. You can also click a tab to view only tweets that contain
links, or only tweets that contain links that you have visited previously
(for when you want to go back to something you once came across on
Twitter)."
--------
Clay Shirky On Leadership and Management in an Interconnected World
http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2009/02/11/clay-shirky-on-leadership-and-management-in-an-interconnected-world
"...In these new condition, Clay suggests leaders need to listen (much
more closely than before), clarify what needs to happen and why, and
engage in real ways with their constituents. In effect, they need to state
clearly "we have heard you, but that's not the top priority for the
following reasons - and here's why". These tending-towards-democratic
conditions resulting from the mass adoption of the Web ensure that
communities and leaders and managers will continue to wrestle with what
makes a group outcome legitimate.
In the past and in traditional hierarchies, not responding or staying
silent on difficult issues was often used as a way of controlling group
action. Clay suggested, in closing, that leaders and managers will need
to give up the fantasy that silence still provides effective control
"
Interesting Reading: 11/12
MindManager 8
http://www.mindjet.com/products/mindmanager/default.aspx
mind mapping services. Their newest version has just been announced. You
can see a strong trend towards making MindManager a project management
tool with the integration of JVC Gantt Pro and new enhanced Automated Task
Management. Another big improvement is the Mindjet Player - you now have
the ability to share maps easily in PDF or SWF files for distribution to
folks who do not have the application. -------- Google Maps Now Availalble For Blackberry Enterprise Server Distribution
http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2008/11/11/11readwriteweb-google_maps_now_availalble_for_bes.html The iPhone may have outsold RIM's Blackberry devices here in the U.S., but
Google knows that getting their software in the hands of business execs
still means building Blackberry apps. The company's recent offering in
this arena is a new, deployable package of Google Maps for Mobile which IT
admins can distribute using Blackberry Enterprise Server. Now, BES admins can deploy Google Maps for Mobile to those millions of
users with ease, thanks to Google's new packages designed specifically for
this server technology . ------ Why Project, Portfolio Management Matter More in a Recession
http://www.nytimes.com/external/idg/2008/11/10/10idg-Why-Project-Po.html IT departments are scrapping projects in response to tightening budgets
and the ever-deteriorating economy. But this is no time to cut back on
project management or portfolio management, experts say. "High project failure means you're wasting money, and there's even less
tolerance for that in a down economy," says Margo Visitacion, a vice
president with Forrester Research who covers project portfolio management
and quality assurance. Portfolio management can help you zero in on the projects that are most
worth their effort and scant budget dollars, while project management can
help you execute those projects most efficiently, IT managers and project
management experts say. David Muntz, CIO of Dallas-based Baylor Health Care System (which warned
patients last week of a potential breach of their personal data), agrees
that an economic downturn increases the need for project management
software. "Good project management tools enhance the three Cs:
communication, coordination and collaboration," he says. "With fewer
people [on staff], you can't afford missteps." ------ In Crisis, Remote Access
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/giving/11NET.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin RUI LOPES'S first impression of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, after the 2004
tsunami was chaos. Bone-jarringly rough roads led to a hastily assembled
field office, where Mr. Lopes, the senior technical director of Save the
Children, learned that the communications infrastructure, along with just
about everything else, had been destroyed. Aside from a few satellite phones and even fewer working cellphones, the
area was isolated as relief workers scrambled to assess the security
situation and address the vast humanitarian needs. On the ground, Mr. Lopes unpacked a contraption made of circuits, chips
and wires, pointed it at the sky and rolled out a solar mat, which turns
sunlight into energy, to power it up. Aid workers plugged their laptops
into the device, which offered the first stable Internet connection since
the disaster had hit a week earlier. Assessment reports and supply requests streamed out. Photographs went to
news outlets to help spread awareness of the situation. Plans to
coordinate agencies came in from abroad. This device, called a Network Relief Kit, weighs less than four pounds and
"is a grand slam invention," Mr. Lopes said. "It's portable, light and
brings the outside world to the most remote, disconnected places." -------- Lessons from innovation's front lines: An interview with IDEO's CEO
http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Strategy/Innovation/Lessons_from_innovations_front_lines_An_interview_with_IDEOs_CEO_2185 Many companies claim to be innovative, but few can claim innovation as
their raison d'être. One such innovation machine is IDEO'a designer of
products, services, and experiences ranging from Apple's first mass-market
computer mouse to aspects of Prada's store in New York City to the
patient-care delivery model at SSM DePaul Health Center, in St. Louis,
Missouri. IDEO's single-minded focus makes it an intriguing port of call for
executives seeking insights on innovation. The company's deep experience
collaborating with other businesses and with nonprofits and government
agencies gives it valuable perspectives on what distinguishes winning from
losing innovation efforts. Yet as CEO Tim Brown is quick to point out,
what works at IDEO won't work everywhere. Brown has worked at IDEO since its formation, in 1991, when three
established design firms came together. He became CEO in 2000, after
stints heading IDEO Europe and the company's San Francisco office. Over
the years, Brown has stood for the development of ideas through
action "observing customers, prototyping, testing, refining" rather than
abstract thought.
In this interview with McKinsey's Lenny Mendonca and Stanford professor
Hayagreeva Rao at IDEO's offices in Palo Alto, California, Brown provides
his perspective on innovation at IDEO and at other ...
http://visualthinkmap.blogspot.com/2008/11/world-wireless-map.html The GSM Association and coveragemaps.com are proud to announce the
availability of the updated GSM World Coverage map for 2008. This
publication is available in printed form at all GSM Association events and
can also be downloaded in PDF using the links below. Unfortunately we are
unable to post copies of the map. This maps is updated from time-to-time
and new versions can be identified by a change in the colour used for
coverage.
