Software application development
This blog is intended to provoke discussion and exchange between like minded software application developers, engineers, architects, project managers - and keen hobbyists too.
Wednesday 21 October 2009, 3:44 PM
Mind mapping software as a lifecycle management tool
Coined in the sixties by educational consultant Tony Buzan, mind mapping is described as diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. From this point you can probably see why it has some potential for management within the software application development lifecycle.
But is it popular? Well, according to analyst David Tebbutt from Freeform Dynamics, “Over sixty commercial applications are available for the PC, the Mac and the web. A sprinkling of others are available for the Pocket PC, iPhone and BlackBerry and you'll even find open source and freeware versions.”
Mind mapping software is said to deal with ideas management rather than process management. As a process it even claims to help people such as dyslexics to be able to visualise concepts more clearly. So who makes it and is it of any real worth?
Mind mapping vendors like to label their technology in the business process management application category. Our random OEM vendor du jour for this blog is MindGenius due to the recently released Version 3 of its business mapping application. According to its makers, inside this product you will find tools for analysis, task management and brainstorming.
Having just bought my first whiteboard from Staples and feeling pretty darn pleased with my home office’s new swanky corporate look and feel as a result – I do have to step back and say that this sounds like a whole bunch of whistles and bells.
Indeed, Freeform Dynamics’ Tebbutt has pointed out that, “Mind-mapping started out as a very personal thing. The aim was to enable you to take notes effectively, learn quickly and plan easily. When personal computers came along, outliners grabbed our attention first, then the more graphical mind-mappers came along. As screens got bigger and resolution improved, so the visual mappers came into their own. But most people were either ignorant of the technique or they saw nothing wrong with sticking with paper and coloured pens.”
But surely there is more substance here than I am making out. There is a market for business process management software and I have written about it before. There is also an interminable debate centred around when and where we will ever find the holy grail of application lifecycle management.
Giving voice where it’s due, Dustin Newport, commercial director for MindGenius is quoted as saying, “The ethos for MindGenius has always been about facilitating the journey from unstructured data capture through to analysis, actions and ultimately results.” Not quite so fluffy after all then.
So your team leader announces a team huddle and walks in with a huge box of Krispy Kreme donuts to let you all know that a new mind mapping strategy is being put in place to help everyone meet the wider project goals more accurately.
Does everyone jump up in the air and whoop with delight? Or do you all feel the hideous internal crushing feeling of another process being brought online to mess up your already fragmented mix of currently deployed software development methodologies.
You decide.
PreviousComments on this post
Hi Adrian,
You make some very interesting points about Mind Mapping and I completely understand your opening paragraph sentiments about why you might want to switch off when you hear the term.
Sadly the concept was initially discovered and promoted by soppy evangelical types who focused on the marvel of what it was (brain friendly, colourful, key words etc etc) rather than concentrate on the benefits it offers.
A slightly fluffy promotional approach by the early first phase advocates who didn't really understand it did much to alienate a huge potential user base who got turned off by the need to hug.
A case of shoot the message because of the messenger.
In short its power can be summarised by this analogy. Imagine your brain has MAC hardware but at school, the way we were taught to organise our thoughts (linear notes- lines, sentences, paragraphs etc) was like installing a Windows operating system - it works but it is not the best match of hardware/software. In short using Mind Mapping is like suddenly installing a Mac operating system on your mac hardware.
When you do that and use Mind Mapping, there are tremendous benefits that include, greater concentration, understanding, memory and recall.
Now when you take the concept and wrap it up in a software pacakge, you get all of those benefits PLUS the addition of being able to generate, store, manipulate and then reference huge amounts of information.
The important thing to remember is that it is just a tool to facilitate whatever process it is you are implementing.
As you have pointed out the makers of the the numerous Mind Mapping software packages wrap it up in all sorts of whistles and bells to make it appeal to corporate/business/professional types by including Project Management tools etc.
But fundamentally it is a tool that will assist you to think far more effectively whether you sit with your coloured pens or you open up your mind mapping software and if you find yourself with a fragmented set of development methodologies then perhaps you should consider using Mind Mapping not to add to the mess, but maybe bring a degree of coordination and control.
I hope that helps
Regards
Michael Tipper
Mind Mapping Specialist (and former Software procurement project manager)
http://www.MichaelonMindMapping.com
> "facilitating the journey from unstructured data capture through to analysis, actions and ultimately results"
Funnily enough, I use FreeMind (it's Open Source of course) to map out web sites and it's ideal for the task of creating these quasi-hierarchical structures http://bit.ly/392uEH
Leveling words Michael - and Jake - thank you both,
I think the problem is that we have, by and large, so many "tools" in place to manage all our various workflows that there is a danger of overload here.
It reminds me of when I worked on the more publicity-focused end of the IT industry where you have managers who do nothing but manage.
You know the sort of person who does nothing but have meetings and talk to people? I can not work or respect this kind of manager as I have no faith in their ability to actually DO anything.
Spreadsheets, management tools and mind maps are all very well - but pick up the phone and show me you can create something.
AdrianB
