Do you have a hard time with your creative process? Brainstorming with friends and coworkers only gets you so far, and brainstorming online is possible, but it requires a bit of work. It’s the equivalent of looking for inspiration under a rock when it’s freely available in the sky above. Use this guide to add an additional layer of creativity to your brainstorm by using nothing but free online tools.
Everyone loves a great brainstorm session or a discussion which is completely devoid of PowerPoint slides. Normally, I’m sure everyone would love to have those sessions but what normally happens is that those same meetings become too much about bullet points and not enough time is spent on the actual brainstorming. If you run into this issue, there are several free online tools which you can demo before committing any of your company’s budget towards having your team use them.
Here is a list of great brainstorming tools to reap all the benefits of a good brainstorming session.
1. IdeaBoardz
IdeaBoardz is a teamwork tool that allows collective brainstorming. Using IdeaBoardz allows for members of a team to combine inputs and ideas in one centralized location online.
Created in the format of a whiteboard with sticky notes, IdeaBoardz allows different members to add post-it notes with their ideas to a collaborative board.
The tool gives the option to log in, to allow you access to previously viewed boards but does not require an account to use the tool.
IdeaBoardz is a great team brainstorming tool and allows for easy sharing through its URL as well as the option to export the board as a PDF.
Learn about the Burndown Chart:
What’s the Role of Burndown Chart in the World of Scrum?
2. Google Documents
Pretty much every working environment uses Google Documents, and therefore it is a great tool to use for brainstorming.
Google Documents is far greater in its recourses than many people know. Google Documents rather than just being used for file sharing has a simple brainstorming tool.
All you need to do to get your brainstorming underway with Google Documents is to create a new document. Ensure that when you share it with your team members, they are permitted to edit the document.
Now all you have to do is let the creative juices run and write it down for the team to see. Not only can you write your own ideas like this but you can also comment and amend those written by other members to really brainstorm as a team.
3. Coggle
Coggle is a tool that allows you to create collaborative mind maps and flow charts. The good thing about using Coggle is it gives you a better visual of your mind mapping with the way it creates branches while you brainstorm.
Coggle allows you to easily share the mind maps or flow charts you create but also allows you to invite other members to collaborate on a mind map with you.
Some of the features Coggle provides are:
- Realtime collaboration
- Changes you make to a map shared with others will instantly show up in their browser
- Unlimited image uploads
- Creating flexible diagrams with loops and joining branches
- You can create multiple starting points to your diagrams
- Add floating texts and images to annotate your map
For free Coggle allows for 3 private diagrams and unlimited public diagrams. There are options to upgrade costing $5 and $8 a month with some added features being made available.
All you need to do is log in and start creating and brainstorming.
4. WiseMapping
WiseMapping is a web tool for mind mapping and brainstorming. WiseMapping gives you the option to use the tool online or install it on your device.
WiseMapping is free for both individuals as well as business users. It allows for solo brainstorming as well as provides the option to collaborate or share your mind map with your team.
Features of WiseMapping include:
- Customizable font
- Customizable colors
- Easy export of maps you create
- Allows for mind maps to be embedded from the tool to your blog
- It allows you to add icons.
LucidChart
LucidChart provides a powerful and easy-to-use flow chart maker that helps create professional diagrams for visual collaboration. You can start from scratch, or pick from their variety of templates. Integrations include G Suite, Confluence, and JIRA, and you can pull content from sources like YouTube, Dropbox, and Facebook as well.
Mind42
This tool may not be the most visually appealing, but it gets the job done. Mind42 allows you to build simple diagrams in your web browser and share with others. Very basic functionality—good for high-level brainstorming.
MindMap
MindMap is a Google Chrome extension that has Cloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box support all built in. Save your work to local storage, in the cloud, or print and export finished mind maps as an image. You can even attach URLs or hand-drawn images to the individual nodes.
Popplet
Popplet is the simplest tool to capture your thoughts and ideas. Because it’s useful in both offices and classrooms, it’s extremely visual and utilizes images and diagrams to build projects. Multiple people can access the same project within Popplet, where they can build presentations, include tags, and categorize projects all within the tool. A mobile app is also available for iOS users.
Wisemapping
Another web-based, collaborative tool, Wisemapping offers a free mind mapping tool for teams and individuals. If there’s a feature you’d like to add to make the solution better, they offer a sponsorship program where you can fund or raise money to build the new feature.
For Solo Brainstorming
Eyewire Creativity Cards
Neither an app or a tool, this website simply provides simple suggestions and exercises to help enhance creativity. Simply refresh the page to see a new exercise.
Here’s one example:
FreeMind
This open source mind mapping tool was built in Java, and is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Features include one-click navigation, easy drag-and-drop, uploading images, and exporting mind maps. Don’t let the outdated interface fool you; this tool is easy-to-use in every sense of the word, and extremely functional.
MindApp
Super basic and to-the-point, MindApp lets you dive right into the free tool without downloading, installing, or even leaving their homepage. Save your mind maps in the tool directly, Google Drive, or Dropbox. This tool comes with a pre-built mind map diagram, which you can play with and customize as you wish.
Moodstream
Augment your brainstorming environment and mood with soundscapes and visualizations. This tool allows you to add background images and set the tone to enhance individual creativity and improve overall mood.
Visual Thesaurus
This neat online search engine allows you to enhance your associative thinking. Once you search a term, the tool spews out a word map with words associated with the search term. The map groups words that are similar, so you can easily see how words relate to each other.
Conclusion
Brainstorming is essential to any good developer. It helps during development, planning, and even if you are the lead developer of a project. There are many tools out there that can help with the process of brainstorming. This article is here to outline some of the best ones that I have personally used.