Novamind is a mindmapping tool with an emphasis on great design. It’s ideal for presenters who want to create first class professional looking mindmaps for use in online or offline presentations. Of course, Novamind can also be used for note taking or brainstorming.
The price ranges from $49 for the most basic version to $249 for the platinum version. To try out the software, just download their 30 day free trial at:
http://www.novamind.com/download
Here’s how to use Novamind.
Step 1: Start Typing to Change the Main Topic
Click on the main topic to select it. Type in the name of the main topic.
Step 2: Learn to Create Topics
When the main topic is selected, just press enter to create your first sub-topic.
When any other topic is selected, press enter to create a topic on the same level. This is called a sibling topic.
Press insert when any topic is selected to create a sub-topic. This is called a child topic.
Step 3: Creating Callout Topics
Callout topics are attention-catching topics that you can use to draw emphasis to specific points.
To create a callout topic, first select the topic you want the callout to be attached to, then click “Callout” along the top bar.
This is what a callout looks like.
Step 4: Creating Floating Topics
Have a second main idea? Put it in a floating topic. Just click on the arrow under “Topic” and select “Floating Topic.”
This is what a floating topic looks like.
Step 5: Learn Your Formatting Options
Novamind offers a wide range of formatting options.
Fill color. This changes the background color of the whole topic.
Outline color. This changes the color of the line connecting to the topic, as well as the line outlining the topic.
To change Fill or Outline colors, click Fill or Outline in the top bar.
Text color. This changes the color of the text.
Text background color. Changes the background behind the text.
To change either of these options, click on the arrow next to the “A” in the top bar.
Bold, Italics and Underline. Click their respective buttons along the top, or use CTRL + B, I or U.
Font. Change the font by selecting the topic and clicking the font box.
Text size. Click the text size box next to the font box to select your text size. Alternatively, click the A^ or Av arrows to go one size up or down.
Here’s an illustration of the different formatting options.
Step 6: Change Your Map Design
Different designs work well for different purposes. If you’re taking notes for yourself, then a simplistic and fast design might work best. If you’re creating a mindmap for a presentation, then you might want a more classy design.
Click on Map Design along the top to access the map design menu.
Select the map design you want. Each design will look significantly different than other designs. Here’s an example of the Presentation design.
To change the colors, fonts or backgrounds in any design, just click one of the drop-down arrows on the right hand side.
Step 7: Presenter Mode
If you’re going to be using your mindmaps to make presentations, Novamind’s presenter mode can help.
To use the presenter mode, just click Presenter along the top.
To build a presentation, first select a topic, then click Create Slide From Selection on the left. Repeat this process for each topic you want to focus on.
Each slide will focus on one topic, zoomed in fully. Move from slide to slide to create a dynamic presentation.
Click on either of the Start Presentation buttons to play your presentation.
Wrap Up
We’ve just covered the most important features to Novamind. You now know how to create sibling and child topics, how to create callouts and floating topics, how to change text, outline and filler colors, how to change map designs and how to structure presentations.
