Appletell reviews Headspace mind mapping software for iPhone, iPod touch

Category: Productivity
Developer: Flat Black Films
Requirements: iPhone or iPod touch with software update 2.0
Compatibility: N/A
File Size: 0.8MB
Version Reviewed: 1.01
Price: $0.99

Anybody remember mind maps? That crazy assignment you got in elementary school where they wanted you to organize your thoughts in a creative way, and you weren’t sure if it was English homework or an art project? Although the modern business world is filled with “flowcharts” and “process diagrams,” the mind map is still a great way to put thoughts on paper in an easy-to-read way (making it an excellent first step to a more grown up outline or executive summary)! For those of us who still use mind maps to get our thoughts firmly on paper, Headspace provides a convenient way to do so, minus the paper. Let’s face it, you were playing with your iPhone anyway—now you can be productive and still feel like you’re playing. (Work? Or modern art? You decide from the screenshots below.)

I used a very real scenario of some impending home renovation to start my mind map. With several great ideas (and the reality that a budget precludes them all from happening at once), the mind map was designed to help me focus on the most important (read: affordable) projects. To begin with, a center bubble labelled Home Renovation, to which I linked an item called Loft/Office:

Adding a link is a very easy process from the Edit Item menu, where you can also adjust the transparency (called Alpha in graphic speak) of each item, as well as its color:

Once I had a starting point, it was time to add some sub items. This process was just as easy as creating links between items. The Add New menu adjusts depending on the current selection, allowing you to either create a whole new group or a new item within an existing, selected group:

After the sub headings is when the fun really begins. Headspace is a powerful and convenient way to create a mindmap, but where it really shines (and what makes its $0.99 price tag so irresistible) is in organization. First, and coolest, is the ability to dynamically collapse/expand grouped ideas. Here, the list of tasks for the master suite appears as an expanded list, then as a collapsed list:

What really wows is the fact that Headspace is actually organizing your thoughts in three dimensions! Here, you can see the same collapsed list stacked in 3-D (use either two or three fingers to rotate the view through the full 360º available):

As though 3D list organization isn’t enough, Headspace is even smart enough to auto-arrange your mindmaps for you. Got cluttered thoughts? Not to worry—just get them down on the screen, and Headspace will reorganize them for you whenever you are ready. Just use the Organize Groups option from the settings screen, and Headspace will shuffle your thought bubbles based on their size and links:

Another great feature of Headspace is the fact that you can store multiple mindmaps concurrently. The handy, built-in file browser will let you retrieve a file after you have saved changes to your current mindmap:

Pros:

• Price: At $0.99, the list of cons is far too short to be considered seriously
• Great Auto – Organization Capabilities: With colors, transparency levels, and 3-D collapsible lists, the app could be more organized than you are!
• Dynamic links: There are more ways to link ideas here because of the flexible auto-organization. Paper mindmaps are limited in that you can only have so many crisscrossing lines!

Cons:

• No export capability: Unfortunately, your mindmaps are locked on your iPhone/iPod Touch. For now, at least.
• Rendering issues: This could be an iPhone thing, but mindmaps respond to orientation data from the accelerometer. It can cause mild sea sickness if you do not hold the phone still. An option to lock maps, with a finger gesture to rotate/tilt would be nice.

Appletell Rating:

Buy Headspace