Use Mind Mapping to Plan a SharePoint Project
Mind Mapping for SharePoint: Introduction
MindManager (MM) has changed my life as a SharePoint consultant, and I want to show you how you can use it for:
- Building navigational taxonomies
- Brainstorming requirements and project prioritization
- Building document and site taxonomies
I will be covering these topics in a series of articles over the next several weeks.
NOTE: There are other mind mapping tools out there, but I’ve worked with Mind Manager, so I’ll be using it for my examples.
Overview
On your SharePoint project there will be two parties: You, and They. “You” are the SharePoint expert who’s going to build the site. “They” are the client who has a problem to be solved. You understand SharePoint, They don’t. They understand their problem, You don’t. This is a recipe for disaster unless you can build a channel for communication that puts everyone on the same page.
I had been struggling with this on my SharePoint projects until a colleague (thanks Joe!) showed me a mind mapping tool called Mind Manager about a year ago.
What I want to make clear in this introduction is why MM is so powerful. The keys are instantaneous communication and a visual paradigm.
Instantaneous Communication and a Visual Paradigm
What do I mean by instantaneous communication? If I can demonstrate to the client what I am thinking, the instant that I think it, they can either agree on the spot, or correct me right away. Contrast this with the normal process of meeting with clients, taking notes and then sending written notes or diagrams to the client after the fact. The process can work, but it requires many round trips, and many do not have time to carefully read the reports that you send them anyway.
The other key component of MM is that it is visual: The tool uses graphical objects and lines connecting those objects to create a structure that can be understood just by looking at it up on the screen. The clarity of the map, accompanied by the ease with which it can be created and modified lets you work interactively with the client until you get to a point where everyone understands and agrees with the result.
Here is a bit of a simplified mind map that shows the process.
In the next article, I will show you how I use MM to work with a client to build a navigational taxonomy.
Author: Ruven Gotz
Ruven Gotz is a senior consultant with Ideaca, a Microsoft Gold Partner based in Toronto. For the past five years he has been focused on delivering award-winning SharePoint solutions (most recently, a Microsoft Impact Award for Information Worker Solution of the Year, 2008).
Ruven’s blog is at http://spinsiders.com/ruveng and you can follow him at http://twitter.com/ruveng.
Have been using MindMapping software for years and naturally just used it in SharePoint projects without really thinking about it because it just fits. On a Mac FreeMind, NovaMind and OmniOutliner are good alternatives but MindManager rocks.
I really think that Microsoft should purchase MindJet and add MindManager to the office suite. It would breath new life into the product line. It would also make my life easier because I could then assume that everyone else has it and just email my maps around :)
I agree with Paul. MindJet has done such a great job of mirroring the Office 7 look and feel, that everyone assumes it’s a Microsoft Product already.
A new feature in MindManger 8 is the ability to save a map as a “Live” PDF. This is a pdf that is interactive: Expand/Collapse works, notes are viewable, the Map is zoomable.
Fidelity is not perfect (it sometimes does not layout exactly the same as the original, but everything works properly).
Using the “Export As MindJet Player” option lets you share your maps with everyone. (With the added bonus: No one can mess with your beautiful maps: These exports are read-only.)
-Ruven
Here’s a small utility to migrate from mindmap files (tested with OpenMind) to MS Project. This is a great way to go from “creative tinking” in MindMaps to “Management thinking.”
http://tinyurl.com/mm2proj
John – Good to hear from you. I enjoyed seeing you at SharePoint Saturday in Virginia. Are you coming in for the one in New York City in February? — Mark
I believe that Mind View are in the process of creating a collaboration tool that supports SharePoint. I assume this will allow people to upload mind maps and work on them collaboratively with versioning?
I not sure if Mind Jet have also done this.
Hi John and Jon,
Mindjet does indeed have guidance on how MindManager and SharePoint can work together. You can down load a 33 page PDF with detailed instructions. (I may cover some of this in future articles as well.)
http://www.mindjet.com/pdf/us/mm8_SharePointGuide_en.pdf
MindManger also works together with MS-Project. It has the ability to export to, and import from MS-Project. Visit the Mindjet resources site for more details.
Great post Ruven. MindManager 8 also synchronizes with JCVGantt, a lite weight project planning application. If you’re mapping SharePoint project plans already and want to simultaneous see or report changes in a ‘Gantt’ view, check it out. http://www.mindjet.com/products/mindmanager/gantt/default.aspx
Hi Ruven! Great article. It was fun being on the same Experts Panel at the Best Practices Conference.
Take care!
Hi Ruven! I was just thinking I needed your advice on a sharepoint issue and I ran across this article and it was from you! Great work!