Thanks to MindMeister for sponsoring BrettTerpstra.com this week. I’m a huge fan. I consider it one of the best solutions for mind mapping, and the absolute winner for collaborative brainstorming.

MindMeister is the leading collaborative online mind mapping software currently on the market.

Unlike traditional mind mapping tools, MindMeister allows for real-time mind mapping sessions between an unlimited number of users. This makes it a fantastic collaboration and planning tool for colleagues, friends and students and enables distributed teams to efficiently visualize and exchange ideas. Maps can even be shared with non-users, published to the web and embedded on blogs and websites.

There are quite a few mind mapping tools out there, but what really sets MindMeister apart is its strong focus on intuitiveness. With all unnecessary clutter removed from its UI, users can concentrate on the creative process, capturing their thoughts in a frictionless brainstorming experience. After the initial “braindump,” ideas can be moved around to create a proper structure, and all kinds of additional information can be added in the form of notes, links, files, or images.

Application possibilities of MindMeister are almost endless. Businesses use the tool for project and meeting management, collaboration with clients, and strategic planning. Similarly, MindMeister is being used by thousands of teachers, students, and entire academic institutions to further creativity and collaboration in education. The tool enables students to take more efficient notes as well as manage and memorize large amounts of information.

Being cloud-based, MindMeister runs inside a standard web browser, which means users can access it from any desktop or laptop without having to install anything. There are native mobile apps for iOS and Android which complement the browser solution and allow users to create, edit, and present their maps on the go. With MindMeister’s popular Geistesblitz feature users can even capture brainstorms without ever opening the app at all - a text message from their phone, tweet, email, or voice message via Google Glass is enough.

MindMeister not only fosters creativity but also improves collaboration and productivity among teams. Start a free trial today to see for yourself!