Why mind mapping software will go mainstream in 2009
Jan 8th, 2009 | By Chuck Frey | Category: Discussion
A number of recent developments have convinced me that 2009 is the year in which mind mapping software will break into the mainstream as a widely accepted business productivity tool. It has reached an “inflection point” where we will see more rapid growth than ever before.
Here are the factors that I believe will drive this rapid growth:
The barriers to adoption are falling: Tools have recently emerged that enable workers who do not have licensed copies of a major mind mapping software package to collaborate with those who do. I’m speaking here specifically about Mindjet’s recent announcement of the Mindjet Connect collaborative workspace and the MindManager Web client. The former is a collaborative workspace where work teams can share my maps and other files, while the latter is a new web client that replicates much of the functionality of the excellent MindManager desktop PC application. Both are available on an affordable subscription basis. When used together, this trio of tools significantly lowers the cost of deployment to corporations, while bringing workers who don’t have licensed copies of MindManager into the collaboration loop. BusinessWeek magazine recognized the significance of this new family of visual mapping and collaboration tools in a recent article. The author states, “The company may have hit a tipping point with the new online version that came out in November… So much Web 2.0 stuff targets people with a lot of free time on their hands. It doesn’t add much value. But this Mindjet application is the kind of thing that, eventually, could give Web 2.0 a good name.” MindManager Web is also an easy way for individuals and organizations to try out mind mapping software, without making a big investment in licensed desktop software. I believe that this new business model, as pioneered by Mindjet, will help to drive much wider adoption of mind mapping tools in 2009.
It plays well with other productivity tools: The leading mind mapping software programs have evolved to the point where they integrate very tightly with other productivity software, such as the Microsoft Office suite. This makes the process of moving your information and ideas from a mind map into other formats almost seamless. As a result, mind mapping software will enjoy growing acceptance as a powerful “front end” tool for developing projects, presentations, reports and for performing other common business tasks.
The move to open source mapping software is expanding: XMIND’s recent announcement that it will offer an open source version of its well-designed mind mapping program will further help to drive increased adoption of mind mapping software by business (click here for Vic Gee’s interview with an official of XMIND, who explains the reasoning behind their open-source move). Many people are already familiar with FreeMind, an open-source mind mapping program that is now downloaded over 5,000 times a day – that’s over 1.8 million potential new users per year! It has effectively become a no-cost way for people to try out mind mapping software, to see if it fits with their work style and workflow. It remains to be seen, however, how long it will take for a community of developers to coalesce around XMIND to help drive its future development and the creation of plug-ins to enhance its utility. Still, the move by a major software developer to offer an open-source version of its application is quite significant, in my opinion.
The outlook for future growth is bright: According to the developers of desktop mind mapping software, who I surveyed during December for some business outlook research I’m conducting, say they expect the market for mind mapping software to grow more than 25% during the next three years. Despite the current economic conditions, nearly 90% of them said they are very optimistic about the worldwide outlook for mind mapping software for the next year.
Positive, growing media coverage: Mind mapping software has enjoyed increased exposure in the business and computer media during the last year or two. Many of these articles give the impression that mind mapping software is now ready for prime time, because it is well aligned with today’s business needs. In short, it’s a powerful antidote to information overload, and it can help executives to be more productive and creative – critical qualities for today’s challenging global economic conditions. Mindjet has published studies that show that its MindManager software can save businesspeople up to 2 hours a day, and my surveys have shown similar results; readers of this blog say that mind mapping software increases their productivity by an average of 20 percent. One of reasons why the acceptance of mind mapping software hasn’t grown any faster is a lack of awareness; this wave of increased media coverage should help to spread the word to more business people that mind mapping software is the “must-have” business tool that meets today’s challenges.
What do you think? Do you believe mind mapping software has reached an “inflection point” of more rapid growth? Please share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.
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On the subject of online tools, I’ve used http://www.bubbl.us/ for a couple of years and have recently been trying http://www.mywebspiration.com.
Both are worth a look and support the idea that these kind of tools are becoming mainstream.
The increase in mind mapping software has not only created healthy competition but has also reached a great number of people and has sparked greater interest in mind mapping.
These are factors in favor in more adoption. How do we attack the two key barriers I see?
1. – Getting knowledge workers to experiment with mindmapping as a technique and incorporate it into their routines? Certainly, letting them watch someone who does mindmapping well is the major first step. Helping them through the initial learning curve does take some work
2. – Getting the IT group to add something to the standard desktop image. That’s likely to be a bigger barrier.
Let’s hope your optimism is a better read than my pessimism
I’m not sure if Mind Mapping software will break into the mainstream market in 2009. It would be wonderful if it did. The key is to package the software with other productivity tools or even operating systems.
It would be great if Xmind came packaged together as part of the Google Pack – http://pack.google.com/intl/en-gb/pack_installer.html, or Open Office promoted it when customers download their products – http://www.openoffice.org/. I think we are at least several years away before Microsoft decides to dabble with their own version of a Mind Mapping software package, however you never know. They seem to pick their moments quite well.
I think that these are essential steps for Mind Mapping to take before it is accepted as a mainstream software.
I’m not sure that I agree, as mentioned in some of the other comments, there are still some barriers to be overcome.
However, I’d love to be proven wrong.
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I respectfully disagree and would counter that Mind mapping is in danger of becoming, in and of itself, passé and redundant to the knowledge worker of this century.
Now before you start screaming “what the ******g hell is Wallace talking about” let me step outside of the Mind mapping bubble and view this arena as an observer.
I’ve been around the information management arena for a while now, and I’ve seen some great advancement in what I term the “Visual mapping” arena. I’ve contributed to a few of Chucks excellent eBooks, which have furthered the understanding of visual mapping.
Visual mapping includes, but is not limited to: Mind mapping, concept mapping, flow charting, argument mapping and many newer approaches to information management.
One just has to look at the vast choices of visual mapping products available to the potential user, and realize therein lies the biggest obstacle to infusing effective information management in and through visual mapping. There’s just way too much choice and no standardization, and this is causing the mainstream developers to bloat their software with functions that emulate those of their benchmarks.
I’ll state that I’m a Mindjet Mind manager user and have been for some years. Mindjet are the deserved leaders of the visual mapping arena aimed at corporate and academia. Mind manager has evolved into a most capable and powerful information management tool that IMO, should be an integral part of the Microsoft office suite.
I believe there’s a short list of true pretenders to the throne at this time.
• Mind manager (Mindjet)
• Visual mind (Mind Technologies)
• The Brain (The Brain Technologies)
These three products embed attachments, can be used to database information and knowledge and have API’s available for SDK’s.
These organizations have the staying power over the competition, due to their financial support from corporate, and the fact that they have many thousands of users.
As an observer, I see many other tools such as Knowledge link and the upcoming “Amode” (Mind systems), bCisive the best argument mapping software (Austhink) and products that integrate linear/nonlinear whole brain thinking, as wrote about in Daniel H Pinks’ excellent book “A whole new Mind” being the future of visual/graphical thinking.
Contextual information management is where we’re going, just take a look at excellent stand alone tools such as Context organizer http://www.contextdiscovery.com and it’s an awesome add-in for Mind manager too.
I firmly believe, at the end of the day, the tools are rather irrelevant, the results are what matter. The current economical downturn is another issue worth taking note of in regards to further development and survival of the smaller developers too.
OK I’ve started the debate, and I’m willing to engage, as long as it’s positive.
Support Chucks work by contributing to his blog.
I agree that it is reaching a tipping point this year – I have been using for over 5 years and hardly ever met another user and now more and more people are showing me maps – it always used to be me on my own but now others come forward without prompting.
The big move forward for me is online collaboration and the storing of maps remotely I use Mindomo and for a web based app. its pretty hard to fault – granted if I was going to start a complicated map from scratch I would use Mindmanager but to have a complete repository of projects / maps and knowledge online and accessible anywhere that I have access to the net is pretty amazing and if you build a map in Mindmanager you can then export to Mindomo (and back again if you want to do any more detail work) (www.mindomo.com – free account for up to 7 private maps $6 a month for a subscription then unlimited maps and with both accounts you can share a map just by adding the persons email).
I think it is these free / inexpensive services becoming more common that is going to drive universal adoption – but a bit of good training at the outset is really worthwhile – does any one have any recommendations as when people see me use it they often ask how to get started?
Impossible to disagree with Chuck. I would add the following.
First, I have been a mind map user for a LONG time.
Second, I have a LOVE/notlove Buzan relationship.
Love the concepts of relationship thinking. 100%
Do not love the picture/color requirement. I am color blind and can’t draw a straight line.
Third, Mindjet is expensive,HOWEVER, there latest release with the ability to publish a PDF will bring Mindmapping to the masses…..
I have uploaded a “PDF” to my web site ( http://www.pigrealestate.com). This is the first time it is easy to “publish” a map that non visual thinking people can navigate. This is the first release of Mindjet’s PDF and it should ALMOST be considered a beta, but it is an indication of what we will see more of. There is a lot more that needs to be done (link linked map PDF’s) but that will come along with a lot of other capabilities.
Once people start seeing a visual navigation capability instead of the traditional linear list oriented presentation, MM will take off…..
Note, I have ALL of the Mind mapping software including TheBrain but the ability to publish to the web is key. Now if we only had a standard format to allow interchange…
Bob@mmbob.com
I think Wallace hit the nail on the head with his comment:
“I firmly believe, at the end of the day, the tools are rather irrelevant, the results are what matter.”
Remember guys no-one wants the drill – they want the hole.
If you look at this debate from software perspective – configuration, interface, functionality, HCMI etc then it is a really interesting debate around the Mind Mapping Software niche given the proliferation of software tools available.
However it is a bit like the washing machine manufacturers at the washing machine manufacturers convention arguing the toss about whether the new standard on water purification will affect the size of the soap dispenser – NO ONE IN THE REAL WORLD REALLY CARES!
LOL – all they want to know is does your washing machine wash my clothes or not.
A more interesting and perhaps more useful conversation (and one which I think Chuck has already been engaging in over the life of his blog) is how can we use these tools to make our lives easier, more productive etc etc
Then further on from that is how can we educate those who do use these tools to harness them even more effectively – even as what I consider to be fairly sophisticated use of Mind Manager, I still know I am only using a fraction of its features
So as you take part in this debate, just put it into context…
Ok who wants to hear about my new spin cycle design…..
Michael Tipper
Absoluvely article!
I’ll need to use some of your points in future business cases toward using Mindjet!
I think and hope that 2009 will be the begining of change and acceptance of Mindmapping as a business tool. However it has to be used more in education first if the workers of the future have the tools and skills to use mindmapping.
What I find strange is that none of you mention iMindMap the only piece of software which is licensed by Tony Buzan, the only piece of software that meets the original ‘rules’ of mindmapping
download a sevenday free trial from http://www.destech.wordpress.com
I wish you were right. However, market timing is everything.
As for Microsoft, their usual manual of “taking over” an Industry is to just go in, when a new release of Windows – appears. Vista has the Windows Search, built-in everywhere. When it comes to MM? If they care? They give it away as a free part of MS Office, in beta, working in the Raw. Then, a year later, make it “finally,” to come much closer to MindManager, and charge as much as they can for it.
By then, probably as a SaaS – Web 2.0 component, and use a subscription ownership model, to make it look cheaper, while still getting 200-300 a year for it.
My opinion only. GR
Other Point. Really “how to really apply” mind mapping, in a useful sense – techniques is woefully lacking on the Internet. Videos on YouTube. Or even freely available books.
What do I mean? 90% of the materials / videos are just “describing the product.” ie, Personal Brain – is too often “just described” as a glorified File Cabinet / thing full of folders, of folders, of folders. MM is IMHO – far larger than just non-linear thinking. It’s thinking of Files without “file labels.” Its about label – which activate / do anything.
I don’t use Personal Brain, for storing receipts of last years Gas Receipts. That is innane.
Trying to find, “here is how” to make GTD operate / process, is a challenge. For some reason, the “context system” doesn’t quite work for me, on a Computer. It works perfectly on paper with a Post-It Note though. (Sherman’s video – one of the few good – 1rst / 2nd view only – ones out there. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1428487/mindmapping_software_for_rolodexing/)
Where as, Tracy’s Movie brain video – the problem, I am talking about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr1hUV0PTrA&feature=related, everything is “too just a Glorified” file cabinet type of model; focus.
= No doubt, I’m out of my mind.
= If anyone has some great links to free / how to do Advanced MMing? I’d appreciate it.
GR
PS. What do I find promising? Storyboarding. Curio for the Mac. Only problem, I need a Windows version. Anyone know – very similar Curio-like App for Windows? http://www.zengobi.com/products/curio/
> Really “how to really apply” mind mapping, in a useful sense -
> techniques is woefully lacking on the Internet.
Glen, have you seen my e-book, Power Tips & Strategies for Mind Mapping Software? It’s still the only collection of mind mapping software “best practices” I have ever seen on the Web. I update it with fresh insights and strategies roughly once a year. It’s not free, but relatively inexpensive (US$29.95).
Glen,
Your comments have challenged me
Connect with me at wallace.tait@gmail.com and I’ll send you an NFR license for Context Organizer. go to: http://www.contextdiscovery and download the trial and we’ll go from there.
Please also purchase Chuck Frey’s publications: you have an invaluable compendium of information that shall reveal to you, with clarity, the complexity of Visual mapping.
In response to Tim’s post:
I have to giggle when someone mentions the Buzan approach to Mind mapping. First off; I have to tip my hat to Tony Buzan and say, without his formalizing of Hand drawn Mind mapping, we would’nt be where we are today with the overwhelming choice of Visual mapping software. I guess it’s a blessing and a curse which really reinforces the law of cause and effect, correspondence and gender. Ooh but I’m getting rather Quantum when I make such comments. The Buzan organization, at one time or another, endorsed every software Mind mapping product on the market (Within reason), until Imindmap came along.
The Buzan product, while sufficient, lacks the real business look and feel of corporate tools that are Microsoft esque in their UI functionality. I took a look at the product a few months ago, and while it’s a fantastic product, it’s still a Buzan oriented Mind mapping tool that has cloned the functions of Business tools such as Mind manager, Mind Genius et al.
We have moved way beyond mere Mind mapping and have evolved into Visual mappers, even this term shall eventually become redundant. I rather like the term Visual thinking used by the Vizthink organization, just Google Vizthink, Tom Crawford and Ryan Coleman and you’ll be surprised with much useful information regarding the Vizthink Global community.
I would encourage you to download the free eBook I co authored with Arjen Ter Hoeve at http://www.visualmapper.org and also to read Daniel H Pink book titled “A whole new Mind”.
Great blog post Chuck; you’ve gotten me all fired up again (Oh my).
I’ll throw my two cents into the ring…
Here are some of the trends that I’ve seen since 1992.
1992 – A handful of leaders (including myself) at EDS started teaching the workforce there. We were seen as radicals, “those mind mapping people”. Despite our attempts to show upper management that this learning workshop (which went beyond just mind mapping) could revolutionize the workforce, we were seen as over-zealous radicals. Yet the statistics gathered by a separate Measurement & Development Organization showed this workshop to be the most successful, long lasting, and highest retaining of skills in the history of the organization. In 1996 they dropped the class for cost-cutting measures.
1997 – I left EDS and started my own company. Funny how all of a sudden I wasn’t a radical. Now I was an expert with a powerful workshop that changed lives. The sponsors inside of the organizations I worked with were now seen as the radicals! Around this time I was introduced to the first version of MindManager.
I don’t think we’re at the tipping point yet, but I know we are approaching it. Since the introduction of software this is what has happened for me. I’ll lead 25-35 participants through a 2-day workshop. During that time tons of activities show them how their brain works and why mind mapping/idea mapping is an awesome tool. Once they have the “ah-ha” moment then they also understand how and why the software works. Then they hunt for their package of choice. I think the tipping point is going to occur once professionals understand WHY it is an effective tool. One of my clients said this to me about mind mapping software, “A fool with a tool is still a fool.” Often times people just don’t “get it.”
Every time education about why and how it works is delivered with software options, there is a new mapper unleashed. Once the eduction is out there, we’ll see the tipping point. These economic times will help force the need for mapping.
Final trend — In hard economic times one of the first things that gets cut is training. Last year I taught more workshops than ever before — unbelievable! In addition to my repeat client base I added Boeing (Seattle), Larimer County Government (Ft. Collins, CO), Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (Toronto), and University of Warsaw in Poland to my client list. After these clients experienced the first class, it was so successful that I returned in the fall to teach two 2-day workshops back-to-back.
This year I will more than double work at Boeing and will be returning to all the others. Each of these clients wanted software, and in fact in Poland I did MindManager training with them. In each of these it was the perfect scenario of education, learning, plus software. I think that’s the tipping formula.
Nice resume Jamie: are you looking for a job:)
Are you still a Buzan trainer?
I took a peek at one of your books, excellent work Jamie, I really enjoyed your particular angle on graphical communications. Your take has a nice fit with the eclectic group of Vizthink
Mainstream is indeed a pipe dream for Visual mapping software producers. I’ve been using the term Visual mapping for some years now and, the term is the only thing that’s mainstream at this time. I even believe this term lacks the descriptiveness needed to have real meaning and impact on those willing to investigate the power of graphical thinking.
The change required for acceptance of the tools and techniques of Visual mapping is manifested at a personal level, and this is where some software developers have willingly disregarded. During the past 15 years of my information management consulting work here in Canada, I have noted the feedback from clients relating to the need for self development (selfdev).
The overwhelming need of the majority of my clients was selfdev, and it never really surprised me when this request came to me while working with some corporate clients. The behavioral changes required for adoption, adaption and acceptance into the main stream of corporate was always clearly at a personal level.
Coming from a Quality systems background in Glasgow has served me well in understanding that, change happens at the personal level initially. Those who adopt Visual/graphical thinking must master the tools and techniques for personal betterment, before even thinking about infusing it into the main stream of their academic or business environments.
Taking a look at journey the software developers of Mind mapping software have traveled in the past five years, gives a very good indication as to where they’ll end up in the next five years. Buzan Mind mapping has indeed become a blessing and a curse to the developers of software Mind mapping, and it is a real shame we are confined to and confronted with only a Mind map for information management. Now I certainly don’t forget that I have made a good living out of business Mind mapping for many years, but if a Mind map is all we can be presented with while creating, managing and exchanging information at personal, academic and business levels, well we’ve just became too right brained.
I enjoyed reading Daniel H Pink’s book titled “A whole new mind”, he succinctly articulates the fact that we have become extremely either left of right brained, and it’s now time to become whole brain thinkers. I am intrigued by what information management software shall be offering us in the near future. I firmly believe whole brain thinking is what the developers need to concentrate on for future iterations of their mapping software.
Integrating linear with non-linear is IMO the key to supplying a software product that enables information to be created, managed, exchanged and delivered with clarity and on time.
Information becomes knowledge, and depending on the contextual relevance, it becomes knowledge. Mastering process, system and the exchange formats of information enables the academic and business users to be forward thinking personal knowledge workers.
Just another opinion from a realistic Scot living in Canada.
[...] Chuck Frey, over at the MindMappingSoftware Blog has a piece predicting that 2009 will be the year when mind mapping goes mainstream. [...]
Wallace, you talk about information management software that would support “whole brained” thinking, as Dan Pink suggests. What would be the capabilities and characteristics of this type of software? What do you envision?
Jamie, it sounds like the real need is to drive training in mind mapping techniques to larger numbers of people. I think it’s amazing that companies are cutting training right and left, and yet you’re busier than ever. Your clients must understand that they have uncovered something big that will make a significant impact on their businesses!
[...] Op diverse blogs wordt momenteel gespeculeerd over die ‘sprong over de kloof’ (zie bijvoorbeeld Chuck Frey’s blog). Vergeleken met de alomtegenwoordigheid van tekstverwerkingssoftware en spreadsheetprogramma’s [...]
Wallace – Nice to be in touch again. No, I’m no longer a Buzan Trainer. I went as an independent partner with Vanda North, my dear friend, when she started The Learning Consortuim. That has since gone quiet, so I’m still hanging out by myself. I’ve held one certification course for some of the old and some new instructors.
No, I’m not looking for a job! I haven’t worked for en employer since 1997, and now that I’ve had a taste of freedom I hope not to need to go back!
Daniel Pink’s book was the best book I’ve read in a long time. I also agree with you that the learning and change needs to happen at a personal level. That’s why the Idea Mapping Workshops aren’t just about mapping. In fact we go through a bit of the Betty Edwards drawing that Pink talks about along with other activities that place individuals in learning situations where they don’t think they can learn. This forces people to come face-to-face with their disbelief and then using a learning model they break through to success. This sets the stage for how mapping can be learned despite the fact that they have been taking linear and non-visually appealing notes for a lifetime.
I was one of the Facilitators at last year’s San Francisco VizThink Conference and it was a super event. Tom Crawford, the VizThink CEO lives about 20 miles from me, so we get together every once in a while. It’s going to be a growing event.
Glad to hear from you and hope all is well there in Canada.
Chuck.
You asked:
Wallace, you talk about information management software that would support “whole brained” thinking, as Dan Pink suggests. What would be the capabilities and characteristics of this type of software? What do you envision?
Do you recall the challenge I made to the developers almost two years ago now, regarding capabilities and characteristics that were, and now have come to be expected within a Visual mapping product. I made a request for Mind mapping, Concept mapping and flow charting to be integral to each other within the user workspace. I also requested that the user would be able to toggle between these three views.
As of the date of this post, I know of only one product that has started the process of integrating these functions into their software, and that is Xmind. It is by no means complete, but they understood the importance, and implement it as a standard function within their product.
So we have at least one product that is attempting to integrate linear (flowchart) with non-linear (Mind map), also taking into consideration that Gantt functions are built right into Xmind, and time lines may be another consideration for integration too IMO.
Now this configuration in the Xmind example is by no means prescriptive, but it does show that a small group from China are innovating in ways that have been widely ignored by the big boys of business Mind mapping development.
Toggling in between these functions is very important to me and I see this being an integral part of the whole brain information management software products of the future. You may also like to take a look at Knowledge Link (KL) by (Mind systems) and view a unique format for information management. While it is very linear, the embedding functions and linking functions are equal to that of Mind manager. If you take a look at their website http://www.mindsystems.com you’ll read they’re developing a tool that shall be named “Amode”: I am under an NDA and can’t say anymore other than, “Amode” in its first version, shall change the game of information management and rock a few developers to the core.
All this said I always find myself back at the person and selfdev, realizing it’s all about personal productivity and self development. People are the most important aspect of information management, and we are all information managers, whether we believe it or not.
As Humans we have a brain that’s designated with two halves, and it is a shame we have been conditioned into thinking that we are either Left or Right brained. The last time I checked, we have a whole brain that is comprised of a left and right hemisphere connected by some heavy duty tissue filled with wiring we call nerves.
The human brain is an awesome computer, and maybe one day we’ll be “Though Mapping” and revolving full circle to the Buzan methods right within our thought processes.
I envision a very smart individual or group of developers to create an information management tool that does indeed posses, the ability to represent numerous views of structured information that suits the individual user needs.
Who knows where the information management arena is heading, but software Mind mapping is at the very least eons ahead of coloured pencils and a sheet of paper. The virtual space supplied within computer based information management software products, is IMO an outward expression of the potentials we as humans have. If I may be bold enough to envision, the human potential of reclaiming the external tools of Visual mapping and placing them back into the brain where all the true potentials lie.
MIND MANAGEMENT IS THE ESSENCE OF LIFE MANAGEMENT.
Slightly off topic but the next issue of Fast Company Magazine (Feb ’09) has an article about design thinker, David Kelley (Ideo and Stanford d.school). The article contained an illustration of a mind map captioned, “Kelley produced what he calls a ‘mind map’ for Fast Company, laying out his thoughts for fixing, K-12 Education, one of his personal quests.”
It may just be a reflection on the author, but for a magazine that shows what is new and innovative to be seemingly unfamiliar with mind maps may be a better indicator of the general population’s awareness of mind maps and the software used to create them.
Paul – When I tell someone what I do, I’m guessing that 1-2 out of every 20 have heard of mind mapping, 1 out of 100 people I talk to have ever used it. When teaching classes about 2-4 out of 20 class participants have heard of it, and maybe one out of 20 have ever used it. The numbers are higher for workshop participants. I think that’s because they read an abstract and it attracts some of those who have used more visual techniques in the past and want to explore further.
I saw one of Kelley’s hand drawn maps in a Business Week article a few years back. I wonder if it is the same one. Thanks for the heads-up.
P.S. Your golf maps are still some of my favorites. I’ve even had participants request copies of your maps!
Let me preface my remakes by stating my pedigree I am the Executive Director and founder of Mindsystems, I have known Tony Buzan personally for 25 years, I helped write the first English help files for MindManager and have been selling MindManager for longer than any current employee at Mindjet. So you see … I believe in mind mapping!
I believe Wallace Tait’s comments are extremely important if you are truly concerned about effective information management. The real issue for me is that mind mapping, concept mapping, flow charting etc are all essential, but ONLY in the correct context. For example, mind mapping is the supreme tool for the initial brain storming phases of a project. Originally I developed KnowledgeLink because I either ended up with maps that were just too large to handle or a number of maps on the same topic that needed to be merged (OK so I know about MindManager’s Multi-mapping). KnowledgeLink makes the data in a large map much more manageable and merges multiple maps at a single click. Where am I going with this? Well, the point is that mind mapping is not the centre of the universe as some would have us believe … it is simply a process … a vital process, but still a process for aiding thought, creativity and initial information handling. The centre of the universe is ‘data’ which becomes ‘information’ which then can become ‘knowledge’.
We need smart systems that focus on information handling and Information Triage (see Chuck’s piece on this last topic) but then allows it to be further displayed in whatever format is appropriate in an effortless way i.e. a single click of a button! This is what we are trying to do with Amode to be released in a few months time. We are soon going to need beta testers who are serious about information handling. If you are interested please contact me directly at jce@mindsystems.com.au
[...] riferimento ottimo per rimanere aggiornati sulle applicazioni è Mindmappingsoftwareblog (lo dice la parola stessa). In questo periodo stiamo comparando Mindomo e Mindmeister, due [...]
[...] Last week, I posted a prediction that mind mapping software will hit an “inflection point” in 2009 that will result in substantial growth, and that this technology will finally enter the mainstream of business. [...]
Okay, I just had to blog this post. So much fire in my belly did it produce. You can check it out here:
http://mcfarlin.typepad.com/the_underlying_blog/2009/01/chuck-freys-balls-of-steel-prediction-about-the-future-of-mind-mapping.html
Great to see you all fired up Kyle.
I enjoyed your colourful language as usual at the underlying blog.
Here’s some more of my blathering to consider:
As having direct involvement within the development of information management products and as co founder of Visualmapper consultancy, I believe I can speak from the developer’s angle too.
I would say most developers have created excellent visual mapping products to enable data, process, information, knowledge and system improvement. Most of the products available to date have quite literally changed the way many within academia and businesses create, manage and exchange information.
If developers are using the term mind mapping, it begs the question; are you in the mind mapping business or the information management business?
Donald Maciver, the General Manager of Mind Genius based in Scotland is quoted as saying; “For mapping to go mainstream it requires a significant change in human behaviour”.
Agreeing with Donald’s quote, I would suggest a potential approach to enable Visual mapping to experience a mainstream infusion.
During mid 2008, I suggested to my fellow colleagues Arjen Ter Hoeve (Netherlands), Patrick Baker (New Zealand) and Brian Friedlander (USA) of a potential format for taking Visual mapping mainstream.
A free Visual mapping Body of Knowledge (VMBOK) may best serve this purpose. From within a body of knowledge, academic content and relevant knowledge could be extrapolated and compiled for potential future academic use.
So where do the developers fit into this? I believe the developers are integral to the development, and continuous improvement of such a BOK. This is where your organizational contributions to these endeavours can be preserved and realized. It is thus enabling you to continue to develop software with the confidence that a VMBOK delivers a knowledge base of the tools and techniques of visual mapping that represent your agendas.
Visual mapping includes but is not limited to Mind mapping, concept mapping, flow charting, argument mapping and much more, therefore we all have relevancy within a VMBOK.
My colleagues have already taken the initial steps of working together to establish the foundations of a VMBOK and would be extremely interested in your input and feedback regarding this initiative. Your contribution and support, so please connect with us at: info@visualmapper.org
MAINSTREAM CAN HAPPEN IF WE MAKE IT SO.
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Hello Chuck,
Wonderful discussion. Great to read the thoughts of other mindmapping bloggers.
It is my position that Mindmapping will gain more traction in the business community as business executives see and understand how it solves business problems. I think Mindjet, creator of MindManager 8, is doing a pretty good job of that in marketing to business roles, rather than simply focusing on software features (see mindjet.com). Ultimately, for business people it is not about the software features, it is about how the tool helps them solve problems.
I currently work for a $4.8 Billion company operating in 35 countries who has the challenge of streamlining their IT, Finance and HR processes and systems. Seeing that this challenge requires the coordination and management of vast amounts of information, I approached one of the Vice Presidents and asked her about some of the immediate problems she was facing. She informed me that one of the first tasks for the project was developing the three-year transformational objectives, annual objectives and tactical goals, and top level improvement priorities. I suggested we use MindManager 8 to organize the thoughts of the Project Leads in a brainstorming session.
So, instead of using a flip chart with markers, we used MindManager 8 with a laptop and LCD projector. All of the VPs in the room never heard of MindManager 8. But when they saw me capturing their ideas, grouping them into main topics and multiple sub-topics, and then sorting and re-sorting them real-time via the LCD projector – they didn’t care what the tool was called. They only cared that it was getting the job done. And getting it done in a way they had never seen before. In fact, one executive pointed out during the session, “This is far better than flip charts and markers. This is a pretty amazing tool. It’s capturing everything and allowing us to refine it. Great tool.” It was only after this statement did he ask, “What is this tool?” I told him, “MindManager 8 created by a company called Mindjet.”
At the end of the session they asked me if I could e-mail them an outline of everything that was discussed during the session. I told them no problem. As all of you know, who use MindManager 8, it is simply a matter of clicking a button to turn the mindmap into a detailed Word outline. It was a full-day session so the outline was literally 14 pages. Not only did I provide them with a very detailed outline with roman numerals and letters, but also a picture of the mindmap at the top of the outline. And because I had my laptop connected to our network, I e-mailed it to them before we left the room.
All of the VPs now see MindManager 8 as a key component of how project meetings should be conducted – and I’ve already been asked to help another group within the company (via VP’s word of mouth). So, mindmapping software usage will increase as we appropriately align it to solving specific business problems.
Notice in my example I did not approach these VPs with showcasing all the features of MindManager 8, because as most of you know, it can do a lot more than brainstorming, aligning ideas, and creating a Word outline. But it is not about showcasing the features, it is about solving business problems. If they, for example, needed to distribute the map to people who did not own the software, I would have suggested using the PDF flash file and sending it to everyone. But that was not the request. They wanted an outline. For this portion of the project, that was the business need. I think business needs should be first, the tools features and functionality should be second. Without knowing the business need you really can’t leverage the tool most effectively. So, that’s where it needs to start. – Chance
I think there is still more education to be done in the market before we reach that tipping point. Resources like Gideon King’s “Power Mind Mapping” free video course at http://www.novamind.com/power-mind-mapping/ provide an excellent resource for doing that, as well as the many example Mind Maps on NovaMind Connect http://www.novamind.com/connect so that you can see real world examples of how people are using Mind Maps.
But in spite of these developments, I still believe that the tipping point is probably at least a year away, because we are not yet seeing significant increases in searches for Mind Mapping software in Google, as would be expected if it was about to reach a tipping point. If you don’t believe me, look at the results in Google Trends: http://www.google.com/trends?q=mind+map&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0 – there has been no statistically significant change since 2004.
I believe that many of the issues that people raise above will be addressed in the next year, but at the same time, I believe that the “featureitis” is distracting people from addressing the core issues that would really make Mind Maps do exactly what you want and expect. I see that Mind Manager has done a pretty good job in the “business mapping” segment, and iMindMap has done a reasonable job with the “back to core Mind Mapping” end of the market, and NovaMind has done a pretty good job of taking the power of Mind Manager and the flexibility of iMindMap, and combining it into a good program, but *all* of these programs have their shortfalls and could do with significant updates. At the moment, my pick would be NovaMind because of the combination of power and flexibility, excellent customer support, and ongoing innovation, but who knows what the landscape will look at in 6 months time?
It would be interesting to hear feedback from the commenter’s in this post now a year has passed.
In my personal experience of the last 12 months has been that this type of product across the board has actually declined in relation to sales. Google trends indicates a decline on web volume for these “Mind Mapping” products meaning they are receiving less web coverage in the last 5 years than previously.
So has Mind Mapping gone mainstream? Definitely not in my opinion and it probably never will.
Be interested in other views on the last 12 months.