MindManager 2017’s new features in action – 3: researching with reusable tags (part 2)

Posted on 20 July, 2017 by

In the first part of this two-part series I discussed the use of MindManager as a research tool and specifically the benefits provided by the addition of reusable text tags in analysing interview and survey data. I also provided two approaches to copying text tags. In Part 2 I’ll outline some data entry techniques and research approaches. I’ll also examine some of the limitations involved in using tags and MindManager more broadly as a research tool.

Data entry options

I could write an entire post – indeed a series of posts – just on data entry, but I’ll try to condense my comments. Continue reading →

Posted in Mind Mapping, Polls and Surveys, Statistics | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

MindManager 2017’s new features in action – 3: researching with reusable tags (part 1)

Posted on 18 July, 2017 by

One of the lesser-known features added in MindManager (MM) 2017 is the ability to reuse the same tags in different tag groups. As the MM 2017 help file notes:

Earlier versions of MindManager limited tags to be unique across all of a map’s tag groups. For instance, it was impossible to include the tag “High” in multiple tag groups. In MindManager 2017, it’s now possible to add the same tag name in multiple tag groups. For example, you can use tags like “Low,” “Medium” and “High,” across Tag Groups like Opportunity, Risk, Reward, or Strategic Fit, to categorize your topics.

This might seem like a minor enhancement but it has significant benefits for people like me who use MM for research purposes. I often undertake case studies focussing on the operations of range of organisations. These studies involve interviews, structured discussions or surveys with a range of key staff and external stakeholders and so usually result in a mix of quantitative and qualitative data across a range of issues.

In the first part of this series I’ll look at how I use MM for research and in particular how I apply tags. I’ll also describe the benefits of reusable tags and provide some advice on how to copy tag sets. Although I’m concentrating on MM in research practice, these techniques may be helpful in other areas, especially if you are interested in making major use of tags. Continue reading →

Posted in Mind Mapping, Polls and Surveys, Statistics | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Check out the Mindmapping software blog for my series on mind mapping and strategic planning

Posted on 30 March, 2017 by

With the kind cooperation of Chuck Frey I have started a series of articles titled Mind map your way to a successful strategic planning day on the Mindmapping Software blog.

These posts commence by explaining the advantages that mind mapping has over the traditional whiteboard as a tool for managing and recording strategic planning sessions, particularly for smaller and non-profit organisations. In the later articles I will describe in detail how to prepare for and then run a mind-mapped planning day. While I am obviously drawing on my experience with MindManager these techniques can be applied with any reasonably well-featured mind mapping program.

The first article is Strategic Planning – Stuck in the Whiteboard Time Warp while the second in the series, 7 key advantages mind mapping can bring to your planning session, has just been published. Part 3 is due to appear shortly and parts 4 and 5 should be published within the next few weeks.

 

 

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New tricks with MindManager HTML 5 exports and dashboard maps

Posted on 17 February, 2017 by

In the first couple of posts in my series on MindManager 2017’s new features I looked at HTML 5 export and dashboard maps. I’m going to look at a couple more new features shortly, but first I wanted to add a short post on some other new tricks you can do using both these features to selectively export certain aspects of your maps. The following is an expanded version of a comment I posted on a thread relating to HTML 5 export on the Mindjet community forum.

1. How to export a map to HTML 5 with a user-accessible filter. To export a map with a filter that can be turned on or off in the exported map, first create the map and then create and apply the filter, selecting show or hide matching topics as desired. Export the map to HTML 5 (see my earlier post on HTML 5 exporting). The resulting web page should include a button in the top toolbar which allows the user to toggle the filter on or off.

Example map 1

Example map

Example Map Filtered for Export

Example map filtered for export

Filtered Exported HTML 5 Map with User Accessible Filter Button Visible

Filtered exported HTML 5 map with user accessible filter button visible

Continue reading →

Posted in Mind Mapping, Software, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Addendum to the dashboard maps post – a dashboard map example

Posted on 19 January, 2017 by

I have received some very positive responses to my previous post on the new dashboard map facility in the latest update release of MindManager, version 2017.1, including a request that I make available the map I used to demonstrate how to set up and use the feature

Here is a link to a ZIP file containing the map of the activities of the hypothetical stationery company I used to demonstrate roll-up maps. Most users are likely to want to set up a separate dashboard map incorporating topics from one or more project maps but for the purpose of the demonstration I included three dashboard maps based on floating topics in the same project map.

The map also includes an explanatory note but is designed to be used in conjunction with the instructions in the previous post. Please note you will need MindManager version 2017.1 or better to be able to access the new dashboard map features.

Posted in Mind Mapping, Software | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

MindManager 2017’s new features in action – 2: dashboard maps (2017.1 update)

Posted on 17 January, 2017 by

It seems that MindManager 2017 is a work in progress. Normally Mindjet makes incremental changes between major upgrades – and these are sometimes as much about taking out features, or fixing problems with previous additions as they are about adding anything new – but this approach has been upended with the release of the latest update, MindManager 2017.1 ( which I’ll refer to as MM 2017.1).

MindManager 2017 was a fairly substantial upgrade in its own right and apart from Mindjet’s commitment to continue making improvements to its new HTML export feature there was little to indicate that the first point upgrade would do more than tidy up a few loose ends. I was surprised therefore to see that the release notes for MM 2017.1 contained a whole page of updated features.

By far the most significant of these is the new dashboard map facility which Mindjet has slipped into the standard as well as the enterprise version of MM 2017.1 with little fanfare. For the first time, users can create a single map which can pull together and summarise data from a range of other maps and, most significant of all, keep this rolled-up information up-to-date. Continue reading →

Posted in Mind Mapping, Statistics | Tagged , | 4 Comments

MindManager 2017’s new features in action – 1: HTML 5 export

Posted on 10 January, 2017 by

A Happy New Year to all Sociamind readers and welcome to the first post of 2017.

What is HTML 5 export and what does it do?

While MindManager 2017 (MM 2017) did not give users everything they wanted, it did deliver a number of unexpected but mostly pleasant surprises. In this occasional series I’ll explore some of these new features, both major and minor, and provide examples of how to use them in interesting ways.

My first example is the HTML 5 export facility which allows users to export a mindmap as a web page. These maps do not require MM and in fact can be accessed by anyone with a browser. With the latest 17.1.167 update they can also use a number of layouts and are fully interactive, allowing users to expand and collapse branches and click on hyperlinks and attachments. Most aspects of mind maps including features such as topic notes are also retained in the export process. The HTML 5 export also replaces the previous somewhat unreliable interactive PDF export feature. Continue reading →

Posted in Mind Mapping, Software | Tagged , , | 1 Comment