Illustrator ( )-you align objects vertically, left and right, center, and at the top or bottom of the screen. MindMap has a freeform drawing tool that you can use to draw any object, and a bevy of alignment tools that mirror the options in Adobe Once again, this syncs up well with the brainstorming process: you don’t have to think too much about global style changes and can just get back to creating new ideas. You hold down the Map Theme pop-up button at the top of the screen and select a new theme, changing the text and style of all objects. Themes in MindMap are an ultra-fast way to completely re-format an entire document in just one click.

The freeform ‘blank page’ approach to MindMap Pro encourages brainstorming while minimizing screen clutter. (You can even export files in Word-compatible Rich Text Format and use them as Word outlines.) MindMap’s “blank page” concept works better than the more cluttered Zengobi Curio 5, a similar brainstorming tool. Microsoft Word 2008 ( ) in full-screen mode, but without all the palettes and menu choices, so you can focus on your idea. For example, there are sidebars on the left for dropping artwork onto the page, and a symbol library where you can attach icons-such as a stop sign or a thumbs-up symbol-to any object.

The current version streamlines the familiar MindMap interface so you can find clip art, tools, and document viewing options faster and more easily.

Think of a good candidate for a Web design team you’re assembling? Suddenly inspired to build a canoe from scratch? MindMap’s open interface-really, it’s just a blank page with objects for text and artwork-is like the king of idea-generation because it doesn’t try to flaunt its powerful features. Desktop software such as ConceptDraw MindMap Pro can help you capture the thought just as easily. For most of us, jotting down that idea means fumbling for a pen and paper. In the time it takes you to read this sentence, a new idea could spring to life.

Using conceptdraw mindmap