Choosing mind mapping software to spark ideas and facilitate brainstorming

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Click the images below to see a larger version. To go to the site of the software mentioned, click the caption below its image.

To spark ideas and facilitate brainstorming sessions[edit]

MindManager, Coggle, MindMup or any mindmapper than can be controlled easily from the keyboard, because you don’t want to be constantly moving your hands between keyboard and mouse;

MindManager.jpg MindMup2.png Coggle.png Xmind.png
MindManager MindMup Coggle Xmind Pro

It will repay you 100 times over to look up, and get used to the keyboard shortcuts that let you capture ideas quickly on the fly. There are not many. Most mind mapping software uses some combination of Enter, Tab, Ins, and the cursor arrows to insert siblings, children and move around the map. It’s a pity that the software developers have not agreed a standard for which key does what but it’s not that hard a task. If the software you’re using doesn’t support this, consider making a change. There are many free and low-costs ones that do.

Next: Choosing mind mapping software to help plan writing[edit]
Back to: The best mind mapping software[edit]


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