In the beginning there is chaos: ideas appear suddenly and quickly disappear again; Every research can become an odyssey. Order and structure come later – working with note-taking apps can seem too cumbersome. They usually provide a rigid structure, which can be a hindrance when collecting and thinking about things.
- There are many tools for collecting personal knowledge and organizing it spatially.
- The apps Heptabase, Obsidian Canvas and Xmind are particularly suitable for visual thinkers.
- The tools provide an endless canvas for ideas, notes and research material.
- Xmind primarily helps with brainstorming and developing clear outlines.
- What is important is not the prettiest presentation, but the right workflow and personal way of thinking.
Visual knowledge tools therefore rely on maps, surfaces, connections and spatial arrangements. Thoughts can be moved, grouped and linked together. This not only makes it clear what information is available, but also how it is related.
The appropriate apps follow very different approaches: Some offer a freely designable whiteboard, others automatically generate a “knowledge graph”. Still others treat notes, quotes, people, projects, and thoughts as individual objects with properties. This guide shows which approach suits which way of working. He also introduces three well-known representatives: Heptabase, Obsidian Canvas and Xmind.
That was the reading sample of our heise Plus article “Visual PKM tools: Heptabase, Obsidian Canvas and Xmind in comparison”. With a heise Plus subscription you can read the entire article.
