Introduction
Brainstorming mode enables you to capture ideas in quick succession. It is suitable for both team and personal use. Because there is no need to structure or even evaluate the ideas at first, you can let your mind wander.
Brainstorming: three steps
#1 Set Countdown
It is recommended to set a time limit beforehand. In order to do so, create a new map first. Select the Brainstorming entry from the Templates list in the New Map window so that MYmap shows the Brainstorm task pane. There you can find the Start button which you use to set the desired timespan. MYmap offers various lengths from three minutes up to an hour. The clock starts immediately. The display is for informational purposes only: you may brainstorm without using the countdown, and even after the scheduled timespan has elapsed, you can still edit the map just like before. If you want to reset the countdown, just select a timespan again.
#2 Capture Ideas
Enter new ideas as they occur to you. Capture the first keyword in the textbox found below the Enter ideas label. Press the enter key, and MYmap moves your idea to the list below the textbox. If a certain entry already exists, it is not being added again, but it will be deleted from the textbox. MYmap is ready for entry of the next keyword immediately.
In order to improve readability of ideas already captured for all participants in a team brainstorming session, list entries are shown in an enlarged font. Newly entered keywords are displayed in an extremely large font for a short period of time. If you are brainstorming as a single user or do not like this display for other reasons, disable the Show in huge font checkbox.
During this step it is important to capture ideas quickly. Particularly, you should not evaluate or delete ideas. Moreover, MYmap does not even allow you to correct spelling mistakes in the list or to modify the order of items.
You cannot save the list of ideas. Ideas that have not been moved to a map (see next step) will be lost irrevocably and without confirmation when you close the program. Do not think of the list as an idea vault, but as a jotting pad.
#3 Finalize
Evaluate and structure the ideas captured. Go through the list of ideas and decide which entries you want to keep and which entries you want to discard. Start by devising categories in your map. Create a main branch for each category. Assign each idea to a category in order to use it, or delete the idea. The brainstorming session is finished once the list of ideas has been emptied.
- Create category: Point to an empty area of your map and double-click. MYmap creates a main branch — a category.
- Use idea: Drag an idea from the list found in the Brainstorm task pane to a category. MYmap creates a twig.
- Discard idea: Click an idea from the list in the Brainstorm task pane and then the Delete or Delete all button.
You can also create categories and assign ideas to them in one step, alternating between these sub-tasks — i. e. you do not have to know all categories when you start assigning the ideas.
The list of ideas is not bound to a single map. Should you come to the conclusion that your ideas are better split into multiple maps, you can create more maps and then drag the ideas into them.