BigHairyGoal — mindmap tasks 4+

Superb! Designed to visualize and execute a large, complex project

I like trying out different tools to help me work. I have one tool that’s great for brainstorming, visualizing and creating. Another for my tasks and todo’s. Another for organizing. Etc. Well I just migrated a ton of stuff from four different apps I’ve been using into BigHairyGoal. And I’ve NEVER had a handle on the big picture of my various projects and their components as clearly as I do right now.

This app makes total sense, but no one had done it before. It combines the freeflowing, visual, zoomable layout of mind mapping — which lets me capture and show interconnections, groupings, hierarchies, etc. — with the basic semantics of tasks and execution — stages, importance, dependencies, etc.

The author has made a lot of smart design decisions in keeping with the purpose of the app. Everything from how it uses coloring and styles, to how it subtly assists here and there, like nudging things over a bit if they overlap, or re-routing lines of connection for the best clarity.

To the app's designers, bravo. And to you, if you’re considering it, highly recommended.

It's close

I like dedicated Mac apps that look like dedicated mac apps; beautiful, thoughtful, and minimal -- and in that department, this app definitely succeeds.

However, it lacks the speed and polish of many free web-based mind mapping and whiteboard apps (perhaps it's because this app is actually quite old). While this app does everything I want it to do, most things require a right click; I can't do something as as simple as drag a card from one kanban board to another. And while the cards are beautiful and have multiple styling options, there's nothing "within" them -- everything you want to put on a card is visible on its face and so a card can get quite large compared to its siblings (and it can throw an entire kanban board out of whack as it grows to accommodate the card).

If the developer ever adds a way to write on the "back" of a card and makes it easier to drag things around, I'd be happy to return.

UPDATE: Thanks to the developer's response, I see now that I can indeed move cards between kanban boards, and attachments make it possible to have more to cards than what's immediately visible. I thnk this is a great option for people who prefer an open-ended visual workspace.

Developer Response ,

Hi Chris! Thanks for your feedback, it helps me making Big Hairy Goal better and more useful — and there's always room for improvement.
What you already can do and what you might not have discovered yet is that you can easily drag cards between groups by holding own the command key when you drop — still your feedback signals me that this could be more intuitive.
When your cards become too lengthly, try attachments. It's the right pane that becomes visible when you choose Display > Show Attachments.
And if you have any further feedback and suggestions … I am here to listen. Most vivid when you contact me directly via application feedback.
cheers!
シ berbie

They fixed it! The best mindmap software i have tried yet to try

So, this is an update to my last review, in which I praised Big Hairy Goal's interface and functionality, but complaned that crippling stability issues which rendered it unusable on my laptop. I am beyond happy to report that this is no longer the case!
This app is the first i've used where the functionality, flexibility, and speed (along with other advantages like the ability to copy/paste) are sufficiant enough to make it competitive with the pen and paper experiance. my only gripe is the way this app makes my fans run LOUD, but it makes sense considering what it is.