Which mind mapping tool works best for planning large product ideas?
I'm one of those people who still starts every big project with pen and paper. The problem is that once the idea grows beyond a page or two, everything becomes impossible to organize. I end up redrawing the same mind map multiple times because priorities…
I'm one of those people who still starts every big project with pen and paper. The problem is that once the idea grows beyond a page or two, everything becomes impossible to organize. I end up redrawing the same mind map multiple times because priorities change, new features get added and different people contribute ideas. I'd like something that starts as simple brainstorming but can eventually become something the whole team can build on instead of staying in my notebook.
Collected discussion
Since priorities keep changing and different people are adding ideas, I'd test version history before anything else. The map gets messy fast if nobody can tell what changed.
same
Version control works best with text-based storage, unless is built into the app itself with good diff auditing. I have used GraphViz and PlantUML a lot for this reason, also because auto-layout lets you focus on the connections rather than dragging stuff around. Mermaid seems to have become more popular with wider tool support.
figjam
SimpleMind Pro
Miro
In my experience the redrawing keeps happening because a mind map can't hold priority or ownership, so the moment either shifts the whole thing goes stale. Whatever you pick will hit that same wall once other people start adding to it, and at that point you're really looking for something with statues and owners rather than branches.
I do like Whimsical for its simplicity and features. Really good for all kinds of diagrams and mindmaps and also for wireframes. All without feeling bloated.
Have you tried Whimsical? It's the best, most flexible for mind mapping, IMO.
The pen and paper then it outgrows the page thing is so relatable, that redrawing the same map five times stage is exactly where the notebook breaks down.