Analysis

Mindjet Connect boosts accessibility

Peter Abrahams By: Peter Abrahams, Practice Leader - Accessibility and Usability, Bloor Research
Published: 26th June 2008
Copyright Bloor Research © 2008
 Logo for Bloor Research

MindJet has just announced the fourth generation of mind-mapping technology. Each generation has added new functionality and widen the scope of use; as a by-product each generation has included extra support for people with disabilities.

The first generation was pen on paper with linear notes being replaced by ovals with text connected by lines with text. They were an excellent way for an individual to organise information and as a visual aide-memoire.

The second generation provided an editing tool for creating mind-maps on a PC. This solved the problem that first generation maps got very messy very quickly as more information was added or new links created. It also enabled the handling of bigger maps as whole branches could be closed down or opened up, or the viewer could zoom in or out. The improvement in the overall quality of the presentation, the ease of navigation and the ability to send electronically, meant that maps could be effectively shared. The mind-map moved from an aide-memoire to a communication media.

People with a variety of disabilities began to use mind-maps. People with limited or no use of their hands, who could not draw generation one maps, could now use the technique. People with dyslexia found mind-maps easier to understand and create than linear text, especially when they could include colours and images, so they began to use the technique as a communication media. People with limited vision who could see the overall structure of the map, found the electronic mind-map easier to navigate than linear text as they could pick up on the visual clues of colour, image and structure.

The third generation extended the electronic functionality by enabling connections between the map and other artefacts. For example a node on the map could be connected to all the documents, presentations, project plans, etc. related to the node. Any of the artefacts could then be opened from within the map. This moved maps from a communication media to an organisation method. Mind-maps became the first thing people opened in the morning as they could now organise their work around it. The better integration with other tools on the PC meant that speech recognition and text-to-speech technologies could be used with mind-maps hence increasing their usability by people disabilities.

The fourth generation moves mind-maps from an organisation method to a collaboration tool. With Mindjet Connect multiple users in multiple locations can work on the same map at the same time. The package includes instant messaging (IM) and voice over IP (VoIP) so participants can discuss and modify the map interactively. Users can also work on their own part of the map and the changes are immediately available to all the users. Users can view the map either by having Mindjet installed on their own machine or through a zero footprint browser solution. The browser solution makes it possible for ad-hoc users to be invited in to collaborate on the map.

Collaboration brings great benefits to users who find it difficult to travel. Many people with disabilities find travel difficult either because the travelling itself is a challenge or because specialised technologies such as large screens or speech recognition are not available at the destination. Collaboration systems make it easy for them to work from their own location and fully participate in the interactive collaboration. Mindjet Connect allows multiple users to work off the same map whilst each having their own view open; this means that a blind user can open up a text hierarchy view of the map whilst other users will have a pictorial view.

Mindjet has always been useful to people with disabilities but with this jump to interactive collaboration it is opening up opportunities for them to exploit their full potential in projects and the workplace.

Reader Comments

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3rd July 2008: 'Edwin Yip (Developer of Mind Mapping Software Mind' said:

it's the evolvement stages, not generations I think.

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4th July 2008: 'Argey' said:

Why ‘generations’? ‘Generations’ clearly implies that things have moved from one to the next and left earlier uses behind. What has really happened is that the options for mind mapping have opened up. Things have become possible that previously were not, so it is rather an _expansion_ of possible uses, not “That's out of date, let's do it this way from now on.”

All four uses still have their place in different circumstances:
- Students still use hand-drawn mind maps in class.
- Bloggers still use stand-alone mind mapping software when planning articles where no collaboration is needed.
- Mind maps (2D and 3D) are still being used to manage information on the local PC.
- And when I’m working with clients who are sypmathetic to mind maps, we use a collaborative platform. That’s always with the limitation that we’re not working on confidential material that they don’t trust on someone else’s server.

Argey
project manager http://www.topicscape.com/

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4th July 2008: 'Albert IP' said:

"The package includes instant messaging (IM) and voice over IP (VoIP) so participants can discuss and modify the map interactively. Users can also work on their own part of the map and the changes are immediately available to all the users. Users can view the map either by having Mindjet installed on their own machine or through a zero footprint browser solution. The browser solution makes it possible for ad-hoc users to be invited in to collaborate on the map." Isn't that it is also known as "white board"? What's new here?

Reply to Albert IP?

4th July 2008: 'Peter Abrahams' (Author) said:

Albert
Obviously much of this function has been available with white boarding. The difference is the integration with mind maps and the ability for multiple users to collaborate and work on one map at the same time.

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4th July 2008: 'Dan Bassill' said:

I fully agree with this progression of thinking. I've been using concept maps to illustrate the strategy of the Tutor/Mentor Connection, and to draw people into collaboration, for the past year. You can see this at http://tinyurl.com/2ldaa4

I think that these tools open a world of opportunity to disabled, and disengaged, populations because they offer the opportunity to collect and organize knowledge about an problem, and to facilitate the involvement of groups of people to solve that problem.

The facilitator, or groups of facilitators, could be located in many different parts of the world from where the problem is focused.

I think that as people demonstrate ways to harness these tools for social or business benefit, there will be great opportunities in this area.

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5th July 2008: 'Dan Roddy' said:

It strikes me that, the communications tools aside, this looks like a visual wiki. Which is a great thing.

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12th July 2008: 'Nick Duffill' said:

Interesting article, but I think that generations #3 and #4 above are improvements on #2, not new generations. Full response at http://tinyurl.com/6d92pr

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