Collaborative Mind Mapping or Co-Creation is a modern approach to process. It’s a product development and management methodology which is about working with customers rather than for customers. Because of its roots in social media, it uses many modern web based collaboration tools such as ‘Mind Maps’ (visual mapping) and social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.
“No man is an island.” This is a popular saying among people, often used in a team setup. It means that there are things that a single person can’t do alone. Statistically speaking, collaborating with other people to accomplish a job is proven to produce high-quality results. However, what if the need to collaborate with a team came at an inconvenient time? That is when you employ the use of collaborative mind mapping tools for you and your team. Using these tools, you will be able to share ideas and discuss them anytime and anywhere. With that being said, here are some of the mind map tools that you should know about.
GitMind – All-in-one mind map and chart maker
Key features:
- Online whiteboard for collaboration.
- Lots of ready-made mind map templates to use.
- Add images, clip-arts to each mind map.
GitMind is a free web-based application that lets you edit your mind map together with your team. This application provides a clear way to discuss ideas shared among your colleagues making it a great collaborative mind mapping tool. Apart from that, it allows users to add different images, and video clips to each map which are useful for presentations. Lastly, save and send your mind maps on your computer as images, and send them to various people.
Miro – Easy-to-use online visual board for ideas
Key features:
- Free VoIP and video conference
- Multiple screen sharing feature
- Compatible with mobile devices
Miro is more than just a simple group mind mapping application. As a matter of fact, it is one of the most trusted collaboration platforms across the globe. This is due to its extensive communication features. It lets you call, chat and even do a video conference with your colleagues from different locations.
Bubbl.us – Lightweight online whiteboard
Key features:
- Minimalist interface with few confusing buttons
- Allows users to attach multiple files like images, and videos to each chart.
- Can shift into presentation mode for meetings and conferences.
Bubbl.us is another tool that provides easy access to online mind map collaboration options. As a free online app, Bubbl.us is considerably decent to use. It provides a way to include screenshots and video clips within each mind map. Aside from that, it has a presentation mode that you can use during seminars with live audience.
4. Coggle (www.coggle.it): Coggle is free for occasional use, £4/$5 for personal and professional use and £6/$8 for organisational use. It is an online tool that allows notes to be taken in meetings, devise mindmaps in a beautiful way and share these with others. The tool allows for real-time collaboration and has images and diagrams to use. It is possible to join branches of mind maps and create loops as well as being able to have a number of starting points.
5. MindMeister (https://www.mindmeister.com/): This is free for the first 3 mindmaps with the ability to share, collaborate and import. It has the option to upgrade to Pro at £8/$11 per month or Business at £12/$16 per month. The personal tool includes unlimited mind maps, files and images that can be attached, export images and PDF, advanced printing and support. The upgrades includes these features and include other options such as having multiple users and multiple admins. This online tool allows users to brainstorm, take notes, project plan and manage, produce ‘stunning presentations’ and manage meetings.
6. StormBoard (https://www.stormboard.com/): This is free for 1 administrator for unlimited mindmaps with up to 5 other users ‘per storm’. This software, like MindMeister and Coggle, allows mindmaps to be produced in real-time. StormBoard allows users to vote, create summary reports, comment on ideas and use the software on a mobile to name but a few of its features. There are options to upgrade as a startup (£4/$5), business (£6/$8) and enterprise (price on request).
7. Mindomo (https://www.mindomo.com/): Mindomo is free for up to 3 maps with the upgrade from £23/$36 a year for unlimited mindmaps, 1GB storage, iPad and Android sync and a range of export formats. Like other mind map tools, this tool has presentation modes, the ability to use maps online and has mind map templates and real-time collaboration.
8. Deekit (https://www.deekit.com/): Deekit enables users to work in real-time, share and collaborate and add notes and images with ‘stunning visual templates’, this can be used on any device. Premium features include shape library, add any media, folders and managing access. There is a free option for up to 2 people and 4 boards, £4/$5 for individuals and freelancers and £5/$7 bigger groups and teams of any size with unlimited boards and members and 10GB of storage.
9. IdeaFlip (https://ideaflip.com): This is a web application that is used to develop and communicate ideas but without rigid structures that mind mapping tools may have. It enables the user to import raw materials such as webpage shots and PDFs. This tool is £7/$9 for a basic package, £12/$16 per month or £127/$165 for the year.
Best mind mapping software for in-person mind mapping sessions
Stormboard (Web)
Stormboard puts a twist on traditional mind mapping by using sticky notes and index cards, rather than nodes and branches, to record your ideas. You’ll group your notes on different parts of the screen to represent connections during the initial mind map creation, then add the visual correlations with lines afterward.
There’s even a “rapid-fire” mode that will pop up a new sticky note the minute you post the one prior, so you can literally type out your ideas one after another with no extra effort—and save the organization for later.
Stormboard also makes it easy to get your entire team involved in the process, since collaborators can record comments, create tasks, and add their votes to each idea. Plus, you can automate the process with Stormboard’s Zapier integrations, creating ideas and storms automatically whenever trigger events happen in the other apps you use most. For example, new Trello cards or GitHub issues can automatically pop up on a dedicated board.Create Stormboard ideas for new Trello cardsUse this ZapCreate Stormboard ideas from new GitHub issuesUse this ZapSee more Stormboard integrations powered by
Stormboard Pricing: Free for the Personal Plan that includes a maximum of 5 stormboards; from $5/month for the Startup Plan that offers access to additional features like advanced recording, live editing on Microsoft Office Online, template section labels, and additional export options.
If you’re gravitating toward creating your mind maps with sticky notes, you might also consider Padlet or MURAL.
Best mind mapping software for a modern mind mapping approach
Ayoa (Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows)
Ayoa is the follow-up to one of our previous mind mapping picks, iMindMap. It was created by Chris Griffiths, a mind mapping expert and author who has collaborated with Tony Buzan, the man responsible for popularizing mind mapping in the 1970s. Put simply, it’s got a serious mind mapping pedigree—and it shows.
Open Ayoa, and you have a choice of making an Organic Map, a Speed Map, or a Radial Map. You can also make a Whiteboard if you’re doing some more corporate-style brainstorming.
The Organic Map is the most traditional, and mimics the kind of thing you’d draw with a pen and paper. You aren’t confined to just putting words in boxes. Instead, you’re encouraged to label the swooshing, Sharpie-like branches that connect different ideas. It’s a much more natural process than a lot of the other apps.
A Speed Map is similar, but with a stripped-down setup designed for rapid brainstorming. You’re almost forced to use keyboard shortcuts, like Tab for a new child branch and Enter for a new sibling branch, as the buttons to do the same are hidden away unless you deliberately click on a node. It’s great when you want to ideate quickly.
A Radial Map is a totally modern approach to mind mapping. Instead of nodes and lines, every idea becomes part of a series of concentric circles. A peripheral segment of your central idea becomes the center of its own circle of ideas as you move outward. It’s mind mapping that’s moving beyond the limits of what can even be imagined with paper.
And Ayoa isn’t just limited to basic (and not-so-basic) mind mapping. The chat, real-time collaboration, whiteboard, and task management features make it ideal if you’re part of a small team looking to realize your ideas. Ayoa is also under rapid development so it’s worth keeping an eye on their roadmap to see what features are coming down the line. When we reviewed this app last year, the whiteboard features didn’t exist.
Ayoa Pricing: Free Basic plan with up to 5 boards, 50 branches per board, and real-time collaboration; $13/month Pro plan with unlimited boards, file attachments, and the ability to export your mind maps.
Conclusion
Mind mapping tools are great for planning, organizing ideas and brainstorming. But if you are looking for collaborative mind mapping software, you can review the list of WordPress collaborative mind mapping tools.