We have a lot of brainstorming tools to best microsoft teams yet. Some of them are free software collaborative platforms and many others are free intranets. You can choose any of them that most perfectly suits your requirements. Now let’s take a look at the most popular boards in the West!
Word is getting out – online brainstorming tools are the way of the future. In this article, we explore what they are, how to make them work for you, and some of the best brainstorming tools on the market. Here’s a hint: there’s a tool you can use today to make your next meeting or brainstorming session more efficient and less prone to dead ends.
IdeaBoardz
Price: Free
IdeaBoardz is a web-based tool that allows you to set up a virtual board and invite collaborators. Create sections for the different areas you want to collect ideas for. Then have everyone add “stickies” with their ideas.
The vote function allows participants to give a thumbs up to the stickies they support. This can help with deciding which ideas to pursue or prioritizing next steps. Sort stickies by the highest number of votes, view different sections or filter ideas using the keyword search. At the end, export the board to easily store the ideas for later.
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.
GitMind
GitMind is an online platform designed to help users in terms of mind mapping and visualizing processes through flowcharts and diagrams. All your work are synced across all your devices, mobile, and laptop. Moreover, this allows you to sort out ideas, and refine each thought while brainstorming is on going. This is made possible with the help of the tool’s “Cooperation” feature. The fact that it has a simple drag-and-drop function to assist you build and arrange diagrams more conveniently makes it the best brainstorming software available.
Infinity
Infinity makes brainstorming not only incredibly easy, but also fun (and we’re not just saying this because we’re biased). This brainstorming software offers amazing flexibility, adaptability, and versatile customization options that will help you and your team power up your collective creativity, streamline team organization, and become more efficient.
Say goodbye to creativity blocks, stressful atmosphere, and project scope creep. Whether you’re looking for a way to motivate your team to maximize their potential for brainstorming or a freelancer trying to organize your ideas and tasks with ease, Infinity’s got it all covered.
Plus, it represents one centralized and organized place for a plethora of projects, from marketing projects and HR activities, to sales and finance processes.
The best thing about this brainstorming app, however, is that it gives you the full freedom to create your own structure, organize it, and customize it to your needs, making it a great virtual place for online brainstorming sessions. Additionally, you can view all of your data in six different ways, which can only further encourage you to spend more time working with your team on the next big idea.
“We use infinity on a daily basis. It is our core tool for project management. You can do almost everything, with so many different views. And it is improving every day!” – Javier Loureiro
There’s also 20 fully customizable attributes you can add to your items, including labels, date, text, formulas, checkbox, and attachments, as well as useful integrations e.g. Zapier and Clockify, to help you enhance the way you work.
Key Features
- Infinite Structure—Create an unlimited number of boards, folders, and items, and customize them to suit your needs.
- Six Views—Seamlessly switch between six different views to get your creative juices flowing. Use a List view to add new items (thoughts, ideas, and suggestions) or Forms to collect feedback from customers, then collaborate on their opinions with the team to improve your products/services. Infinity is a few steps away from launching two more views, Document and Gallery.
- Over 50 Templates—Infinity is packed with a bunch of templates you can use each for brainstorming.
- Custom Attributes—Infinity comes pre-packed with 20+ customizable attributes that can help you effectively brainstorm with your co-workers. For instance, once a new item is created, everyone involved in the brainstorming process can add their unique votes and show whether they are keen on turning that idea into action or they feel it’s just “blah”.
- File & Note Sharing—Infinity supports sharing multiple file formats, including images, GIFs, videos, etc. Quickly attach links to notes or link to other items in your folders to keep your team members inspired.
- Team Collaboration—Invite people from other departments to join your brainstorming boards, folders, or subfolders and encourage them to share their ideas, make comments under their suggestions or mention people who need to hear about them.
- Task and Project Management—Infinity is not just a plain brainstorming tool. Packed with tons of task and project management features, it lets you turn ideas into tasks and assign them to one or multiple users, or even turn an idea into a whole project.
And if you’d rather not get started on your own, you can choose one of our 50 pre-made templates and start making real work happen ASAP. Don’t know which one to choose? No worries, there’s a template for a variety of industries and niches in our library, from HR and marketing to sales and project management.
Pricing
Five available plans, all lifetime deals—choose wisely.
All jokes aside, though, Infinity is currently running a lifetime deal for all five plans, and you can get yours for as low as $249. This plan includes up to 10 team members and 50GB of storage.
Realtime Board
Price: Free
Realtime Board is similarly a collaborative, online whiteboard space utilizing virtual post-it notes. You can start with a blank page or use a template to structure your project. Add files, images, and documents from Google Drive or upload them from your computer to share information. Then you can turn it into a presentation or export it to a PDF.
The free version is good for up to three team members and three boards, but guests can also view boards. You can also integrate Slack. Upgrading to the $40 per month version adds on two more team members, unlimited boards, video chat, and more.
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.
Bubbl.us
Bubbl.us is a cloud-based mind-mapping application that you can access online. Unlike most mind-mapping tools that provide other options, it exists solely to improve your mind-mapping process. Being a cloud-based app enables you and your colleagues to work together to generate new and unique ideas. This brainstorming app is one of the simplest processes in creating a Bubbl.us account since it is a requirement to have access between your colleagues to collaborate. Aside from that, it also provides an autosave feature, like most other online mind-mapping tools.
Advantages
- You can save your outputs as an image format.
- It offers a great color combination for the best viewing experience.
Disadvantages
- High cost application on its full service.
- It won’t let you select multiple bubbles to move.
Price: Free
Conclusion:
Everybody knows that people working on a project or on a task together can be more successful than doing it alone. Brainstorming is one of the most popular ways of cooperating and building connections between people. It allows participants to initiate and share ideas for others to develop, which generally results in a unique, innovative and creative ideas that individuals cannot give birth to alone.