by Zyense

Thinking and Doing, in-between that comes planning and preparation. For the projects that pull multiple resources, platforms, tools, services, organisations and more besides I've been using Total Recall.

Total Recall falls in the category of apps and tools used for mind-mapping. I've poked and played with lots of these mind-mapping apps but there was a reasons I came back to Total Recall. Intuitive augmentation is the goal of any app I adopt. It may not be for you but if you wanted to try an app to map your thinking in a slightly more chaotic way than the rigid linear layout favoured by other apps in this genre give this a go.

Using the 4 four icons along the bottom of the interface all the features are available. (see screenshot below)

The '+' and touch to place new bubbles and type to add text. Holding the bubbles allows you to move them around and double tap to edit and you can get started. With the '+' activated, drawing a line between bubbles to connect and group bubbles makes building the mind map so simple.

This is the unique feature in my eyes. Once I have built the map and made the links the auto layout positions the bubbles spatially obeying the relationship connections I provide. This reveals a structural clarity that often helps me to understand the gaps in my thinking, identify missing resources and new opportunities pulling the mind map in to a logical shape. At least for me any how!

The screenshot below is of my Events Landscape Map. It evolves and grows as new apps, tool and segmentations become known to me. It helps me trace out events and cost quotations. It helps me present event and project structures to potential clients. I have also created maps for organisations where the auto layout feature visually illustrates where communication and resources sit and how they relate to the business or organisation as a whole. It often reveals the difference between how they think their business is structured compared to what is the reality. Its not a hard and fast solution but offers a conversation tool to develop a strategy to integrate social media and its associated technologies in to the core of business planning.

Any app I adopt must talk to the other app and devises I use. With Total Recall on iPhone and my iPad my mind maps are available on both devises. I can save to the photo album, send an an JPG image via email, as a PDF, as text even as a Total Recall file for other app users to work on.

It's not the most business looking app and I'm sure other apps have valuable additional features but it ideally suits my thinking. I love it. Let me know if you'd like PCM to work on one with your organisation.