Zengobi Announces Curio 4.1 New Leopard features plus integration with the Curio Community Center RALEIGH, NC - November 13, 2007 - Zengobi today announced the availability of Curio 4.1, the latest version of their award-winning brainstorming and project management application for Mac OS X 10.4 and above. Curio from Zengobi is a project management app and digital note book with tons of features, which I use to plan and organise my writing projects. Curio recently had a major update and is now even more full featured than before. Continue reading â. The Creative Project Management Software List. Creative project management means collaboration, brainstorming, communicationâbut it also means automating some more technical or administrative tasks to free up employee brain power for things computers just canât do.
Curio from Zengobi is a project management app and digital note book with tons of features, which I use to plan and organise my writing projects. Curio recently had a major update and is now even more full featured than before. Some of the things Curio has to offer include:
In this post, Iâll cover some of the features I find useful in Curio, and talk about how I use it for research purposes.
The basic infrastructure and user interface
Curio is organised around projects and idea spaces. I create a new project for every piece of academic writing. Each project is made up of different idea spaces, which is essentially a white canvas which you can fill with any piece of data or information you might need. Here is an example of an idea space with a mind map, an outline, a text box, an index card and some instant documents. Instant documents are files that are integrated in your idea space, and can include Word, Powerpoint or OmniOutliner files. This helps you keep everything related to one project in one place.
To the left, you will see the organiser pane. Here you can create different idea spaces and rich text documents within the same project, and you can also add different sections and folders to your project if you need to more levels of organisation to your idea spaces. You can hide the organiser pane when you are working with idea spaces to get the most out of your screen estate.
At the bottom of the left toolbar, you can add the filter menu, which will allow you to search and organise your idea spaces based on tags, labels, last time of modification, or an open word search.
In the toolbar at the bottom, there are a range of options for inserting new things to your idea space, importing and exporting files, and adjusting the scale of the idea space.
Along the top, there is a menu bar that letâs you adjust a number of attributes of an idea space or a single item. For example, you can change the orientation of a mind map, the colours of an index card, the formatting of text, add tags or notes, or schedule tasks related to your project.
In the screen shot below, you will see the library pane to the right. The library pane has three sub sections: project, scrapbook and Evernote. Here you will find a list of all the documents imported to your project, your Curio scrapbook (more about the scrapbook below), and all of your Evernotes, if you have integrated your Evernote account with Curio.
Useful features
I frequently use the mind mapping and outlining tools to generate and organise ideas. Mind maps and outlines come in different styles, with a range of options for visual customisation. A nice feature is that you can easily convert a mind map to an outline and vice versa through a couple of clicks. You can also import outlines from other apps in opml format.
A very nice feature that came with the latest upgrade is the ability to view two idea spaces side by side. This is useful, for example, if you are trying to write up an article outline or a brief summary, based on an initial brainstorming conducted in a mind map. Here is a screen shot for illustration:
Curio also comes with an integrated web browser. This is useful if you want to integrate web references in your project without having to leave the app. Just select âweb viewâ from the toolbar at the bottom, and a browser immediately appears in your idea space. Hereâs an example of a literature search conducted in web view, where Iâve added a note:
Another thing I really like in Curio are instant documents. These are documents from other apps that are embedded into your Curio idea space (see the first screen shot above for an illustration). This brings the advantage of keeping everything related to a given project in one space, placing different files in particular relationship with each other, or assigning them a specific place within Curio workflows. At the same time, you maintain the the formatting and features of apps external to Curio. Instant document formats include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OmniOutliner, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.
Curio 11 4 3 â Brainstorming And Project Management Apps Pdf
A final thing Iâll highlight is the Evernote integration. If you use Evernote for your research, this is an excellent feature, which allows you to directly access your EN notes inside Curio and add them to your idea spaces (it does not, however, let you modify your EN notes or âuploadâ from Curio).
Importing and exporting
When working in Curio, you can import a wide range of files to your idea spaces, such as photos, videos, documents created in word, power point or excel, or outlines created in other mind mapping apps (opml files).
You can also transfer text and files to Curio via the scrapbook. To send text or files to the scrapbook from other apps, you can:
There are a wide range of export options for all levels of your Curio files: you can export whole projects, selected idea spaces, or individual figures within an idea space. If you are a mac mail user, there is also a âmail asâ¦â feature â unfortunately this doesnât work with other email clients.
How I use it to support my research
I use Curio as a hub to manage my writing projects. I create one Curio project per writing project. Within that project, I will usually
â first use the mind mapping tools and the tables to generate and organise ideas, and to support my initial sorting of data.
â Once this stage of the process has progressed, I tend to switch to the outlining tools to create more structured outlines for my writing. At this point, you can convert your mind maps to outlines with a few clicks, but I often prefer to start a new outline because I feel it helps my thinking process to start from scratch. Iâll use a split screen view where I have old mind maps, notes or tables on the screen to the right, and my âfreshâ outline on the left screen.
â In parallel to this process, I will usually be reviewing literature, so I might use Curio to review concepts or themes by using the mind mapping function to take literature notes (more on this process in this previous post), or by using the scrap book to import sections of a text or notes from Circus Ponies notebooks that I use to develop my outlines.
â Finally, I may write up someinitial pieces of text using a rich text document.
I use Scrivener to actually write my articles; so the division of labour between Curio and Scrivener is that a lot of the initial idea generation, organisation and structuring of the text-to-be takes place in Curio, in conjunction with work on literature and data. Then, when I have a clearer idea about how to write up my argument, Iâll switch to Scrivener and import the things I need that I generated in Curio. I find Curio preferable for that initial process of brainstorming and organising ideas, because of the flexible way you can work with mind mapping, outlining and other forms of idea organisation.
Some final comments
Now, for some more critical remarks: The most common argument Iâve seen against Curio is that it is the jack of all trades and the master of none. For example, there are outlining tools out there with more features, such as OmniOutliner which offers multiple columns, or mind mapping apps that offer more features than Curio. I think there is something to this argument, and it will come down your personal requirements and work flow whether you want a comprehensive app that does a lot of things at a reasonably high level, or a range of separate apps that are more sophisticated at their individual tasks. For my purposes, Curio meets most of my needs. Even when I want to use other apps (for example, I frequently use OmniOutliner or NovaMind), I often import the results to Curio, because I like having everything related to a given writing project in one place. However, there is no fixed answer to this â it just depends on what your needs are, and how you prefer to organise your work.
Another consideration with regard to this app is how much screen estate you have. To really maximise the benefits of Curio, you need a large screen. If you do most of your writing on an 11â³ Air, you might not be able to take full advantage of what Curio has to offer. I use it regularly (and happily) on my 13â³ Air, but I also like to connect to a larger, external monitor so I can spread my ideas out on a larger canvas.
This post is by no means an exhaustive review. There are many features in Curio that I havenât covered here, as I have primarily focussed on things that I find useful for my own work flow. If you want to know more about what Curio can do, check out their web site and their comprehensive user manual. A final thing Iâll say in favour of Curio is that their customer service is, at least in my experience, outstanding â very responsive, comprehensive, and helpful.
Although there is a spike in Google Trends for Best Mind Mapping App, I havenât really seen the
Mind mapping makes brainstorming easier. It is like having your own âworldâ, a workspace where there are no constraints. All you have to do is visualize stuff, scribble down ideas, create flowcharts and do whatever it is necessary to set the cart in gear. Besides, mind maps are cool. You can understand the projectâs underlying strategy long before it has even started.
Video Source: TedX â Naperville
I Donât Know What a Mind Mapping App Isâ¦
Mind mapping app is the revamped version of your old school whiteboard diagrams. Remember those days when you or a group of workers wanted to start a project? They would huddle around the whiteboard, create images and vice versa. Everyone would pitch in with their idea â except that it would be in the form of âmind mapsâ, block diagrams and other elements.
In that realm, developers took the same concept and applied them to a bunch of workable programs. These programs are known as mind mapping app. As of right now, the internet is brimming with tons of mind mapping app. In fact, âbrimmingâ is a literal word descriptor because every few months, some nomad company releases something new.
These new companies do a standoff of so-called best mind mapping app at their official blog. Their only intent is to promote their own product or do an SEO roundup for getting organic traffic from the search engine.
That is okay; in understanding the need to promote rankings. But when there is an abundance of such mind mapping tools without any elaboration on how they work, how are they useful and what exactly does a mind mapping app do, it turns into a steaming pile of bull pizzle.
As a matter of fact, mind mapping phenomenon is so important that I think it should come before you write down a work statement at the start of a project. Some people call it a statement of intent, but it serves the same purpose when we look at it from the perspective of project management.
This theory also begs for another question to be answered. And that would be the actual application of mind mapping tools in project management. Such programs are not a necessity, but they are a âmeans to an end.â Not using a mind map wonât have any drastic effects on how your project finishes up in the long run. Or perhaps, it may have. Maybe you made a mistake during the planning phase and missed a few important elements that only a mind mapper could have lent.
On that note, this is a double-edged sword.
Coming back to why or why not a mind mapping app is essential to project management, it is all about perspective. Besides, technology is changing. Many companies and businesses shut down because they donât innovate.
Others survive because they use modern technology; abide by whatever latest trends going on outside the organization and follow the rule of improvisation. Mind mapping is the same thing. I would say that it is a relatively ânewâ concept, and has a lot of potential on how your project could finish eventually.
From simple brainstorming to complex blocks visualization, a good mind mapping app has it all laid down. It eventually depends on your standard of what exactly defines the âbest mind mapping app in 2019 and beyond.â
Since I am an Agile project manager at nTask, I can say from a cursory analysis that the following features should be in a mind mapping app. On the issue of what makes it the âbestâ tool is a matter of choice, budget and actual client requirements vs. a number of features in the mind map software.
Some of the common/ essential features of a mind mapping app are appended below.
Canvas Features:
Canvases are your work boards where you shape your rough ideas. Some mind mapping software companies offer unlimited canvases. There could be size limitations but the unlimited canvas is a great way of kicking off some mind maps simultaneously.
File Uploads:
Almost every mind mapping software comes with the ability to upload files. It is a basic level integration that you should look for when buying such a program for regular use. Some programs that lean extensively on the visual cue side, they allow for uploading and attaching image files. Others allow users to add text overlays through plain text files. It depends on what you are looking for.
Communication:
If you are using a mind mapping program as a project manager, you will need the collaboration feature. Since many team members brainstorm at the same time when using these tools, communication is more of a necessity.
Ability to give feedback, comment and add suggestions to a mind map is a welcome perk. Likewise, if the mind mapping software is cloud-synced, users should be able to revisit archived/ old maps from anywhere in the world.
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File Extensions, Save Options:
Ultimately, a high-quality mind map needs to be exported. Thatâs where save file formats and extensions come into play. If software uses an exclusive file format for the sake of self-promotion, there is no point in using it.
Work teams normally use a mind map program that has compatible file extensions with other 3rd party apps. Whatâs the point of downloading software with exclusive file export format and extensions?
Diagramming Tools:
While there are a majority of users who get by with minimum image drawing features, others
In that sense, make sure that your âbest mind mapping softwareâ of choice has an array of diagramming tools. In addition, if you can create wireframes and technical diagrams with just as much ease as drawing a simple shape, youâve got yourself a win-win situation.
Additional perks of an ideal mind mapping tool would be the ability to import and create diagrams based on live data from business competitors. In other words, think about business intelligence incorporated into your favorite program for blowing the competition out of the water.
General Mind Mapping Tips for Starters:
Making a mind map is easy. I know the term is intimidating but it is all about scrapping down raw ideas into diagrammatic representations. Remember, it is your canvas and you get to draw whatever comes to your mind.
Most of the mind mapping software come with preset templates. But if you want to start from a blank canvas and work your way through to the final image, thatâs up to you. Here are some general tips on how to make a mind map:
13 Best Mind Mapping App Recommended by Our Experts:
Before I begin, what makes for a great mind mapping app is all about your requirements. Therefore, do a little bit of research on the pros and cons of any given program before you run your credit card. A general rule of thumb is to use a program with simple UI, easy workflow, and feasibility to optimize your project management skills.
1.
On top of our list of the best mind mapping app is Canva. Canva is one of my personal favorites. As an Agile Project Manager, I have used Canva for a while now. It is not my exclusive go-to software, but Canva offers a lot of freedom and wiggle room for creativity. At first glance, it is an online tool with a compendium of images, both free and paid. You can create infographics, mind maps, flow charts, and an overall visually stunning work board.
Canva is more like an amalgamation of art, creativity and project management. As a free plan user, you will get 1Gb cloud storage by default, extensive drag and drop functionality for creating images and a collection of 8,000 visual pieces.
Larger groups can benefit from the exclusive âCanva for Work. Plan. This plan favors software companies, project managers and infographic creators who wish to give a detailed perspective to their tasks. If you are using the free plan, some of the images might have a âCanvaâ watermark. It can be removed with some Photoshop skills. However, you can pay as you go for per image rate if you want to auto-remove the watermark.
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2.
MindMeister has a staggering user base of over 7 million people from all over the internet. Compared to Canva, MindMeister is second to best when it comes to
While MindMeister offers a wide range of free tools to entry-level users, the majority of its users are from the business sector. People reportedly love to create mind map layouts, flowcharts, structured data diagrams, and strategic visuals to reflect their project planning phase.
The visual details in MindMeister are so rich that you can literally add vein-like lines as seen in cartographer software. On top of that, there are different options, templates and formatting styles to choose from. It is guaranteed that if two people are working on the same mind map, their final output will be visually different. It depends on how everyone uses the customized user experience for creating mind maps from blank canvases.
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For more details on âEduâ student plans, visit the official MindMeister website at the earliest.
Read this blog on how to use Mind Mapping Software for Project Management:
Hereâs How Mind Mapping Tools Help to Jump-Start New Projects
3.
As a first-timer, if you need a no-fuss mind mapping software, FreeMind it is. The program has a very simple UI to help beginners with basic level brainstorming ideas. That doesnât mean that professionals donât use FreeMind â they do, but their user experience is completely different. I am talking about basic level individuals who wish to give a visual shape to their ideas.
Moving on, FreeMind comes with a drag and drop function. You can copy different nodes in different styles. Afterward, enter your text inside, outside or underneath the node for ready reference. You can also add tables and simple geometric shapes with color codes for some visual distinction.
FreeMind also offers a variety of integrations. The program can read HTML codes for URL redirects. It has more than enough tools to help shape a project idea from start to finish. However, if you are looking for next levels imaging options like Canva and MindMeister, this program lacks a little in comparison.
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Curio 11 4 3 â Brainstorming And Project Management Apps UsingPricing:
4.
If you are an Android user, you may not have heard of this mind mapping software. It is an iOS exclusive, which is a bit of a letdown for Windows and Android community. However, there is a workaround solution if you donât have an iPad. You can use the Web-based version of Popplet by accessing their official website.
Popplet has a very select user base. It is an ideal mind mapping software for work at home moms, freelancers and especially school going kids who wish to hone their creative skills. You can pretty much organize, color code, capture and share your work easily. If you are looking to use such a tool as an individual business owner, or just a starter, Popplet is the right choice for you.
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Each pricing plan restricts the total number of users to it. If you want to add more users, you can do so with the addition of some extra cost. Please refer to Poppletâs official price chart available at their website.
5.
This one is another web-based best mind mapping app available to various businesses of different sizes. LucidChart is not everyoneâs cup of tea. Most of the users are associated with Adobe, Amazon and such other companies where mind mapping is based on very complex technical diagrams. If you are such a user, you already know of this software. Chances are, you are probably using this program or some alternative customized version provided by your company.
LucidChart is lined up with real-time collaboration tools, various communication modes, and different tools to advance ideas from a single node. Top it all off with a wide range of integration support to embed different data sets from 3rd party apps. Likewise, you can also export your work in different file extensions for portable viewing experience across all range of devices.
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If you are an enterprise-level user, please contact the official LucidChart support staff for a customized quote.
6.
Another best mind mapping app is Scapple. If your hunt for a mind mapping software is centered towards simplicity and flexibility, Scapple is for you. The tool comes with a massive room for customization and allows you to freely construct mind maps the way you want.
When you launch the tool, you are welcomed with a clean slate that gives you the liberty to doodle away your thoughts â keeping the artist-y soul inside you at peace. Make connections just the way you do it on a simple paper, and make changes as many times as you want.
To further make things easy, Scapple comes with a simple drag and drop interface to help you quickly connect the ideas and make more sense out of them. In addition, you can stack the related ones together in the form of a column for easy retrieval whenever required.
The tool is deceptively simple, so if youâre looking for an advanced mind mapping software, you may want to pass.
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7.
Bubbl.us is an online brainstorming tool that is designed to help teams collaborate on ideas and one of the best mind mapping app. The name of the tool is derived from a simple fact that your thought bubbles need to be organized into a structure to help understand them better.
Solely focusing on ease and simplicity, Bubbl.us does not overwhelm you with a complicated feature set to structure your ideas. Which is exactly why itâs a perfect choice for small teams that are in the development phases.
The tool relies on simple mind map diagrams to generate ideas. These diagrams can be constructed on a board and then shared with team members to brainstorm on projects. Kind of just like a whiteboard, only virtual. You can also save your diagrams in the form of an image to further make sharing easy.
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8.
This mind mapping software has plenty of advanced features to give your team the push it needs. Just like a whiteboard, you can use the platform for a quick brain-dump to start making connections. You can also include any extra notes, files, or links with them to add more context.
Instead of providing only the basic mind maps, MindManager takes it up a notch by giving you the ability to add due dates, priorities, and dependencies to make things crystal clear. These dependencies can be easily adjusted whenever required, through drag and drop.
The tool integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office, in fact, it resembles it too. This makes it a go-to choice for Office users, or for enterprises. The advanced functionality that unlocks with the Enterprise version of the tool makes it extremely professional looking and at par with industry standards.
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9.
Coggle is yet another flexible mind mapping software that comes with an added benefit of team collaboration features to keep things aligned. Create a flowchart with multiple starting points and extend them into sub-branches without any hassle. Itâs perfect for complex enterprise-level diagrams.
The tool comes with multiple editing options to help you make changes according to your requirements. For instance; when creating a diagram, you can add floating images or text to include additional information as a context.
In case you donât want to create things from scratch, the toolâs built-in library of flowcharts and diagrams makes your work easy for you. Furthermore, invite as many team members as you want, to collaborate on ideas. The invited members also have the leverage to make changes to your mind maps.
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10.
Microsoft Visio is a Microsoft backed one of the best mind mapping app which comes with pretty much everything youâd expect from a standard mind mapping tool. It comes with an option to integrate it with Office 365, in case you want to enhance the toolâs functionality.
The software gives users the ability to connect the flowcharts and diagrams to their data. That way, the changes made in data are automatically updated in the respective diagrams. You donât have to do much of the work here. Itâs a great way to visualize your daily KPIs or any data that varies on regular intervals.
The online version of the software allows you to work from anywhere and make changes on the go. So, you donât have to worry about leaving your work behind anymore.
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11. Cacoo
Cacoo is a highly recognized and tested online drawing software used by more than 2 million users worldwide. It helps to create diagrams, mind maps, and lay down the groundwork for a multitude of projects.
Over the last few months, we have talked about Cacoo as more than just a reliable software for mind mapping and project management in general. It is the reason Cacoo is listed in our best mind mapping app list.
This tool offers integrations with other apps, such as; Confluence, Google Drive, and Dropbox. With additional 3rd party app integration, you can get by with flawless workflow within a matter of minutes. In that sense, Cacoo doesnât restrict you to the program itself.
Alongside native features, this software offers free templates to easily incorporate your ideas into a workable template.
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12. MindGenius
Number 12 on our best mind mapping app list is MindGenius. This app helps you to create mind maps in a very simple manner. Start with block forms and elaborate from there as you move along. This tool also offers a wide range of templates that play a huge role in transitioning work to a practical form.
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13. SmartDraw
As obvious from the name, SmartDraw offers the best mind mapping app at its finest. You get a bunch of tools spanning over a very simple UI. The tool is easy to use because of a simple interface and all the important features are right where you need them to be.
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