Mind planning is arguably the most essential part of the creative thinking process. Be it you are trying to solve a problem, or you are trying to design an app, mind maps are invaluable to the creative thinking process. We practice mind planning in little things as we go about our daily activities. Think back to the last time you had an idea, as soon as that idea sprung up in your mind, you thought of several other things related to that idea. That is practising mind planning at its basic form. Mind planning software helps you organise and structure those thoughts that pop into your mind randomly.
Mind planning software also known as concept mapping software are brainstorming tools that help with your mind planning process. It helps to create a visual representation of your ideas in a very innovative way. These tools range from simple brainstorming tools to the most complex diagraming and data visualization software available. Using a concept mapping tool makes your mind planning process a lot faster and innovative. You don’t have to worry about the order in which you writing your ideas, the software helps arrange and conceptualise your ideas as you write. They usually come with several pre-programmed templates that you can choose from; you can create an ideal map in a matter of minutes.
They help you to organise and structure your thoughts in a hierarchy order and represent the connection between the various ideals. Like a city map with a central area and several routes/roads linking all areas within the city, so also is the mind map/concept mind. The mind map is usually structured with the main idea and several other little ideas/goals that will all be used to achieve the main idea. These ideas are linked by various processes and they all link back to the main idea.
Regardless of what order you think of those ideas and write them down when you use a mind mapping software, it automatically helps you organised them into an ordered list. They offer a wide variety of templates layouts and themes to pick from. It is also possible to switch between those layouts if you decided to change the concept of the mind map. Most mind mapping software has integration features for integrating with apps such as Google Drive, Office 365, and others. This feature makes it easy to move your files seamlessly between the software and those apps.
You can collaborate with members of your teams and work on a project together online in real-time with the collaborative editor feature. This feature makes it easier to work faster without the physical presence of members of your teams. The cloud storage and sync feature offer protection against any loss of your files. Once your files are stored or sync in the cloud, it can be accessed by you anywhere and on any device. There is no losing your mind maps ever.
It is easier to manage your mind mapping process, turn your ideas into visual, keep a record of your creative solutions, and track your success with mind mapping software. Why keep using the more tedious way of paper and pen/pencil, when with a mind planning software you get flexible and faster with your mind mapping.