Visual thinking is quickly growing in importance as a strategy for attacking difficult business problems. But what’s driving this need and why should you learn about it?

That’s the purpose of this new mind map, which outlines the major drivers behind the growth of visual thinking (the “why”) and codifies the benefits of adopting this type of mindset (please click on the map to view a larger image).

What do you think? What would you add to this mind map? Please share your thoughts!

This mind map was created using iMindMap 5 Ultimate for Windows.

MindGenius Ltd. just announced an update to its mind mapping program that should significantly broaden its appeal to enterprises. MindGenius 4.2 now supports SharePoint check-out/check-in and you can export your project map data directly to Microsoft Excel.

SharePoint integration

In the past, if you wanted SharePoint integration, you had to get your hands on a special version of MindManager. All that’s changed with MindGenius 4.2. Check-in/check-out ensures that only one person at a time can edit a mind map. If you have it checked out, no one else can edit it, but they can still view it in read-only mode. This gives you greater control over shared mind maps in a team environment.

MindGenius 4.2 is compatible with SharePoint 2007 and 2010; SharePoint 2003 is not supported. For MindGenius files to be recognized by SharePoint, your SharePoint administrator will need to register MindGenius file types and icons with the SharePoint server. This is not something that the average worker can do on their own.

You can open mind maps hosted on your organization’s SharePoint server either by using a mapped drive on your computer or by typing the SharePoint server URL into the file/open dialog box.

Also, you can perform version control by assigning a version number to your mind map, each time it’s updated. Finally, if you have a map checked out, it is stored locally, so you can take it on the road with you and edit it while offline. Nice!

Excel export Gantt view

Most mind mapping programs that have project and task management capabilities also offer a Gantt chart. That’s somewhat useful. But what if some members of your team don’t have MindGenius – or Microsoft Project? With MindGenius 4.2, you can now export your Gantt chart to an Excel spreadsheet. This should be a great solution for many users of MindGenius, because the Microsoft Office suite is so widely used worldwide.

MindGenius 4.2 offers a number of options to help you customize your exported project data, including:

• Calculate column summaries in Excel
• Apply grouping – in other words, you can expand or collapse “branches” within the spreadsheet, in much the same way as you can expand and contract mind map branches.
• Retain the colors and styling of your mind map or export a plain, black-and-white spreadsheet
• Export range – export the current map view or the entire contents of your mind map

Of course, you need to make sure your mind map is arranged in a meaningful way before you perform your export to Excel.

This is a very positive move for enterprise users of MindGenius. Version 4.2 is a free download for current users of MindGenius 4. For more details, please visit the upgrade page on the developer’s website.

I’m actually going to share two top 10 lists with you. One is from Google Analytics, which is strictly based upon page views. The other one is calculated by the WordPress blogging platform; it uses a combination of factors to determine popularity. Think of them as two different perspectives into the wild year that was 2011:

Google Analytics

1. Mind mapping on the iPad: A game changer
2. 2 mind mapping apps showcase the promise of the Android smartphone platform
3. The 4 best mind mapping programs for project management
4. First impressions: Mind mapping apps for the iPad 
5. 8 new mind mapping applications enable you to capture your ideas on the iPhone 
6. How to think like Steve Jobs mind map
7. Concept maps vs. mind maps
8. iMindMap 5 evolves into a solid business mind mapping tool
9. How to do a SWOT analysis using a mind map
10. A mind map of 100+ tips for using Linkedin more effectively

WordPress post popularity

1. A mind map of 100+ tips for using Linkedin more effectively
2. iMindMap 5 evolves into a solid business mind mapping tool
3. Review: DropMind makes impressive debut on the iPad
4. Mind mapping apps for the iPad: The Dropbox connection
5. Review: OmniGraffle diagramming app for iPad offers excellent usability, unmatched functionality
6. Mind map analysis: A terrific visual decision making template
7. iMindMap 5, new online collaboration tool announced by ThinkBuzan
8. Video review: SimpleDiagrams software is a great way to get started with visual thinking
9. Mind Mapping Software: More Powerful Than You May Realize
10. Review: MindMeister for the iPad is ideal for mind mapping on the go

One topic dominated both lists in 2011: mind mapping on the iPad. As the popularity of Apple’s tablet grew by leaps and bounds during the last year, so did interest in visual mapping apps for it. My iPad is loaded with mind mapping apps – looks like I better step up the pace and review more of them this year!

No matter what your line of work, chances are you must deal with ideas. Either you’re creating them as part of your work, or are having them submitted to you by your subordinates. In either case, having an effective process for evaluating ideas effectively and selecting the best ones for implementation is becoming critically important.

In this new Effective Mind Maps report, I analyze a mind map that brings a simple, common-sense process to creative problem solving – from clearly defining your problem or challenge, to listing potential solutions, evaluating them and identifying the best one for implementation.

In this report, I go deeper than ever, not only analyzing what the author of this mind map has created and what can be improved about it, I show you what these recommended changes would look like. So I’m not only telling you, I’m showing you what to do. This makes it easier for you to adapt these ideas to your needs.

This report is only available to members of the Mind Mapping Insider membership program. It contains a wealth of resources that can help you to be more productive, creative and have a greater impact in your job. It’s not enough to have a mind mapping tool – you need the insights to use it in ways that deliver value and enhance your reputation. That’s what this program is all about! Click here for more details.

One of the problems with the way we think is that it tends to be based heavily upon problems and challenges we have faced in the past. We tend to focus on something that has worked before for us, and settle on the first seemingly good idea that pops into our minds. As a result, we tend to grab at a narrow range of ideas, and stick with them until they’re proven wrong – not a very good survival skill for today’s climate of discontinuous, accelerating change.

A Lotus Blossom map can help you to brainstorm and think about a much broader collection of ideas and potential solutions to your challenges. It’s an excellent lateral thinking tool!

In this latest Mind Mapping Insider report, I explain how to brainstorm using this unique visual format, which is very similar to mind mapping. I even provide a full-color template for this exercise, along with a filled-out example to help you get started exploring your unique possibilities, opportunities and ideas. I created these diagrams from scratch just for my members, because I couldn’t find good enough examples online, and improved upon a diagram I found in a creativity book to make it easier to use.

The special report that accompanies these diagrams explains, step by step, how to use this brainstorming technique – illustrated visually, of course. Please click on the links below to expand your thinking today.

This report is only visible to members of the Mind Mapping Insider program; if you’re a member, please be sure you’re logged in, so you can see the link to the video and its associated resources.

To sign up for the Mind Mapping Insider program, please click here. You’ll open yourself up to a wealth of advanced strategies and techniques that will help you to become a better visual thinker, problem solver and project manager – all for the cost of a premium coffee per week. Why not make an investment in yourself today?

What do Smart Map Parts, Spinscape and the SharePoint version of MindManager have in common? They are all attempts to use mind maps as a research tool, connecting mind mapping software with data stores wherever they are – whether that data is on your corporate network, Google or your personal Evernote database – searching them and manipulating the resulting data within a visual map format.

The “information scalpel”

I predict that these tools will become more powerful and more flexible over time, an “information scalpel” that will enable sophisticated searching of information stores and flexible manipulation of the results. Some possibilities include:

• Boolean searches (search for A and B but not C),
• Limiting searches say to a specific kind of data, such as news or blogs,
• Searching other online stores of information, such as Wikipedia, Google+, Wolfram Alpha and industrial directories
• Connections to other types of corporate databases, in addition to SharePoint
• A Smart Map Part builder, so you can easily construct and modify tools to search those information stores that are most important in your industry or profession
• Storing and auto-updating search results on a scheduled basis, which would be useful for topic monitoring and competitive analysis
• Auto-notification when search results are located that meet certain criteria
• Tagging specific topics and search results and forwarding them to others on your work team for action

In addition, the ability to review search results and only add certain entries to your mind map is a capability that will become more important in the near future. Currently, Mindjet’s Smart Map Parts for Mind Manager deliver all search results into your mind map. It’s up to you to delete those that aren’t relevant to your needs. A better approach would be to conduct searches and load the results into a side panel or dialog box near the work space, where the user can decide which results are relevant and worthy of being added to your map. This is the approach taken by Spinscape, a web-based mind mapping application, and I think it makes a lot of sense. This kind of functionality will becoming increasingly important, as information managers continue to struggle with information overload.

The integrated browser with the ability to drag and drop web content also helps to transform mind mapping software into a powerful research tool. It enables you to search for information of interest and selectively add the most important bits and pieces to your mind map in an organized and efficient way.

What inspired me

What got me thinking about this is Radian6, a sophisticated team-based social media monitoring and campaign development tool that enables multiple people to track what’s being said about your company and its competitors, to monitor the needs that are being expressed by current and prospective customers and to take action. This powerful toolset is an information dashboard on steroids. As I looked at what Radian6 can do for organizations, I got to wondering what it would look like within a mind map environment.

Salesforce.com recently acquired Radian6. I think in the future we can expect to see some integration between MindManager and this powerful social media toolset, because Mindjet already has a smart map connector called Deal Navigator for the popular online CRM application.

That’s what I see in my crystal ball. What do you think the future of mind mapping software looks like?

MindMeister, the innovator in the web-based mind mapping space, continues to advance with the recent release of a major update, which includes a completely redesigned user interface, social sharing of maps created online, new MS Office export capabilities and much more.

Here’s what’s most notable in MindMeister 6:

Redesigned user interface: The first thing you notice when you open a map in MindMeister is that the user interface looks brighter. That’s because the properties panels on the right, which were formerly dark blue, now have a white background color. Also, this panel has been simplified. In the past, it took up the entire right side of the workspace, from top to bottom. Each of 5 sub-panels could be collapsed separately. The redesigned properties panel is now only half as tall, and can be collapsed in a single mouse click, giving you more screen real estate.

Improved notes functionality: One example of how the usability of MindMeister has been improved is the notes panel. In the past, it contained a toolbar, which enabled you to format your notes text. Usability studies must have confirmed that few users did so. As a result, the developers removed it from the panel and instead provided an unobtrusive “advanced” text link – which opens the notes in a much larger pop-over window, complete with a formatting toolbar. Undoubtedly, this also meets the needs of users who didn’t like the tiny text input window of previous versions. This solution meets the needs of novice users, yet gives power users access to more options with a single mouse click – nicely done!

Social sharing: With version 6.0, MindMeister users can now share maps quickly via e-mail, IM and Twitter with a unique link that has been shortened with the application’s new mm.tt link shortner. This was long overdue, considering the growing popularity of social media. You can share maps from either the map editing view or the “my maps” list. In a clever move, the developers consolidated map sharing (inviting people via e-mail to view and/or edit your map) and social sharing (via a shortened link). You need at least a MindMeister Pro account (US$9.95 per month) in order to use this functionality.

Map themes: MindMeister 6 now includes 12 colorful map themes, another feature that was probably long overdue. Almost all mind maps produced using MindMeister have looked the same – a blue central image with with angular connector lines joining topics and subtopics together, topic text on a plain line and a plain white background. Bleh! What a wonder it is to select a professionally-designed map theme, complete with smooth, rounded connector lines, topic box shapes and background colors.  Not only that, but you can click on a “customize map theme” button to further modify the look and feel of your MindMeister maps. With this improvement alone, MindMeister moves the state of the art of web-based mind mapping closer to the experience of using desktop software.

New map exporting options: MindMeister 6 can now export to Word (.docx) and PowerPoint (.pptx) formats. In previous versions, it was possible to share your maps as embedded images, but MindMeister maps were more or less “islands.” You couldn’t easily export their contents to other useful formats for further development and refinement. Now you can. Once again, this is a capability that users of desktop mind mapping software have had for years; it’s nice to see MindMeister making this capability available to users of its innovative web-based application.

Keep-aligned feature: In previous versions, users spent a lot of time dragging and dropping topics to align them with each other. In version 6.0, a new “keep aligned” tool automatically repositions your topics. I tried this on one of my existing right-facing mind maps, which had about 12 topics in moderate disarray, relative to each other. The second I clicked this option, all of the topics jumped into perfect alignment with each other. Not only that, but if I tried to drag one of them out of alignment, it immediately snapped back into position. This tool can be toggled on and off; if you want to have more control over the positioning of your map topics, you can simply switch it off.

MindMeister 6 includes numerous other improvements, which you can read about in the developer’s blog.

It’s great to see a developer listening to its customers and responding with terrific new features and functionality. MindMeister continues to get my recommendation as the top web-based mind mapping application available today.

In this new Mind Mapping Insider report, I will show you how to utilize a brainstorming tool called the KnowBrainer along with a practical 4-step creative problem solving process to generate profitable ideas for your business. I will also demonstrate how your mind mapping software is a perfect platform for capturing, evaluating and developing action plans for your killer ideas.

This report is only visible to members of the Mind Mapping Insider program; if you’re a member, please be sure you’re logged in, so you can see the link to the video and its associated resources.

To sign up for the Mind Mapping Insider program, please click here. You’ll open yourself up to a wealth of advanced strategies and techniques that will help you to become a better visual thinker, problem solver and project manager – all for the cost of a premium coffee per week. Why not make an investment in yourself today?

That’s why my latest Mind Mapping Insider report takes on this herculean task, digging deep to show you what each of the major programs offers, and outlining the pros and cons of each.

This valuable report covers the following Windows-based mind mapping programs:

• MindManager 9
• MindGenius 4
• NovaMind 5
• iMindMap 5
• Xmind 3 Pro
• FreeMind
• Visual Mind 11
• ConceptDraw MINDMAP 6
• MindView 4
• PersonalBrain 6

There are some surprises in this report. One of the biggest: Some of the high-end programs take a decidedly minimalist approach to their Word export tool. But there’s actually a logical reason why. Also, several programs offer some little-known innovations that will make your life much easier, if only you knew about them. Plus, there are always a few things that leave me scratching my head going, “What? Seriously?!” All this and more is contained in this comprehensive new guide to the Word exporting capabilities of mind mapping software.

This report is only visible to members of the Mind Mapping Insiders program. To sign up for it, please click here. You’ll be opening yourself up to a wealth of advanced strategies and techniques that will help you to become a better visual thinker, problem solver and project manager.

While I don’t encourage it, you can always register for membership, download this report and then jump off a month later. I don’t place any restrictions on membership. You can cancel your subscription at any time from within your PayPal account – no intervention from me is required. My goal is keep you as a member by providing you with the best possible reports, tips and resources – with a value that far exceeds your modest monthly investment. My gut feeling is that you’ll find many other valuable reports and resources and that you’ll decide to stay!

The image at right shows the map with all of the sub-branches collapsed. Click here or on the image at right to open a PDF of the fully expanded map.

How can you use this mind map?

You can use it to help you develop and design more compelling products and services. Simply consider how your idea will make your target customer’s life better or fulfill one or more of their needs along these dimensions. Why? Because great designs – like the Apple iPad or anything made my Dyson – inspire. They grab us at an emotional level. In other words, they speak to one or more of these profound, universal human needs, and connect deeply with the customers who own them.