Mind Maps

Mind Maps are a useful way to consider the structure of a project. There are numerous tools (I use SimpleMind Pro) and how-to articles.

Beyond the mechanics of building one, I typically draft a handful of maps:

• Outline from Starting a New Project
• Domain Model concept map and taxonomy
• Overview or comparisons based on:
  • What & Why vs How, Essential/Incidental/Noise, Innovation vs Commodity
  • Fishing vs Friction, Use Case/Operability/Compliance
  • Whatever combinations help you

You can use an outline in a document instead, but the visual layout of a Mind Map works better for me.