Last Updated on August 11, 2021
Structured thinking is a process of setting a framework to an unstructured problem. Having a structure not only helps to understand a particular problem, it also helps to identify areas which need more understanding. Structured thinking allows us to map ideas in structured fashion, thereby enabling the identification of areas which require the most thought.
Mind mapping is a fairly free flowing concept. This means you need software that is versatile, and can adapt to your requirements. Your idea of a neat and tidy mind map might be another person’s idea of bamboozling. A map can concentrate very complex content in a small space such as a piece of paper. It helps to use both sides of your brain: the logical side and also the creative side. It’s a technique to help organize the way you think and stimulate your creativity: It can help you by developing, sorting and helping to memorize your ideas.
Mind mapping software therefore offers an excellent way of capturing your thoughts in a structured way, brainstorming new ideas. Move away from simple lists, and use this software to link ideas in different ways. By thinking creatively, not linearly, we can seize on our big ideas.
In more advanced forms, mind mapping software can also be used to describe complex structures and concepts so an entire team can better understand them.
Minder is a tool that lets you create, develop and visualize your ideas. It’s written in Vala and published under an open source license.
Installation
We tested Minder on Ubuntu and Arch-based distros. There’s packages available for both. Installation was straightforward with no issues to report.
The developer provides the source code, so you can build and install the software manually, if you’re so inclined. Here’s the steps we followed on a fairly vanilla Ubuntu installation. First install 6 packages. There are a few dependencies we already had installed, so you may need to install a few additional packages.
$ sudo apt install meson valac libmarkdown2-dev libgee-0.8-dev libgranite-dev libarchive-dev libgtksourceview-3.0-dev
Next clone the project’s repository and change into the project’s directory:
$ git clone https://github.com/phase1geo/Minder.git
$ cd Minder
We can build and run the program with the command:
$ ./app run
To install the software
$ sudo ./app install
Next page: Page 2 – In Operation
Pages in this article:
Page 1 – Introduction / Installation
Page 2 – In Operation
Page 3 – Summary