The Evolving Worker

Mind mapping is a technique I find very valuable to use on a daily basis at work for a variety of purposes. I first heard about it roughly one year and a half ago, through a friend of mine (thank you Céline!). At that time, Céline was playing around with a software named MindManager for her own professional use – and she demoed that software to me as an introduction. That was the beginning of a very valuable experience for me.

You have most likely already met a mind map of some kind. If you haven’t, check out the NovaMind homepage for some visually appealing examples.

A mind map is a diagram connecting concepts (ideas, thoughts, tasks) around a central topic, usually involving colors or eye-catching assets, where the concepts can be hierarchised and moved around. I believe this technique was first described by Tony Buzan in The Mind Map Book (which I consider a worthy reading). Some mind maps include very subtile and colored drawings, others are a lot simpler, depending on the author taste and sensitivity.

Unlike a todo-list, this kind of diagram stimulates both the right side (creativity and intuition) and the left side (logic) of the brain. It seems a lot easier to memorize and to grasp for most of the people I’ve met – and it is definitely easier to memorize for me. I find that mind maps are, by design, very close from how I internally structure things in my head. The gap between this representation and my mind is quite low and this gives a smooth feeling when I write down thoughts, ideas, as they come to mind.

Mind mapping tools I used this year

After a bit of experiment I choosed three techniques to create mind maps. I use the most practical depending on the context. This very short list is obviously personal and a matter of taste:

• MindManager (MindJet Software, commercial) : it’s a mind mapping software I appreciate for the fluidity it brings, its ease of use and its simplicity. I decided to buy a license at the end of the trial. One year later I must say I don’t regret my purchase – I use this option as soon as I have a computer under my hand.
• a pencil and a sheet of paper : I use this option whenever I prefer not to use a computer, for some reason. I usually use a post-it when I don’t need more space, and stick it on top of a book or folder. It acts as a reminder with flashy colors, if I need it.
• FreeMind (freeware mindmapping software) : although I find it less pleasant to use compared to MindManager and less polished, it is free and easy to use as well. It provides a nice way to get started to mind mapping if you are not willing to spend money – I’ve used this with my family, for instance.

I’ve also heard good things about NovaMind, although I didn’t try it so far.

If the map I’m creating is not intented to last long, I tend to use a sheet of paper. Whenever I intent to keep the map longer, or when the map is bigger, I tend to prefer using a computer software, together with some version control (like Subversion) as a safety net.

A significant amount of knowledge can be stored inside a mind map, with very deep hierarchy levels. If the words are carefully choosen to be understandable by other people, it can provide a very useful vision sharing document, for instance.

Suggested articles

• What can you do with mind mapping ?
• Using Mind Mapping Data To Drive Your Software Application