UNLVfan4 Rating:
This past week I dove into the world of effective mind mapping. The result? I got completely overwhelmed in the search of the perfect web application. I began to get frustrated, couldn’t seem to find programs that are free and allow you to make more than a specific amount of maps and save them.
I got so caught up in the search that I forgot why in the world I was putting myself through this! I created some distance, used search engines to remind myself… WHY is this really important? Why do I care? The engine gods spoke and sent me to this article by asianefficiency.com.
Don’t laugh… okay you can laugh. The website name is funny but the content definitely reminds me of the types of posts I would see in my new favorite blog, lifehacker. The article summarizes 10 ways to use mind maps over text notes.
Criteria
Is this article user friendly and easily navigable?
Yes. This article actually puts me at ease with its organization. The article begins with an introduction on mind mapping, followed by an overview of the goals the article will accomplish. Take a look at the image below:
The orange hyperlinks serve as FAQ’s already embedded in the article. When the link is clicked on, a new tab appears and you can switch back and forth between the original and the new content.
Is this article easy to relate back to?
The tone of this article is conversational and convinces me that I can make this practical change because it is worth my time. It is easy to relate back to because no one ever wants paragraphs of text lecturing them! Its just simple phrases with big ideas linked to them.
Why I recommend this – this article slowed me down. It emphasized the trial and error aspect of becoming a seasoned veteran in mind mapping. It also got me to think of other ways to implement mind maps into my everyday life. I can take meeting notes, conference notes, solve problems, knowledge management, and make decisions with some simple bubbles and arrows.
Fantastic Four 