Using Evernote with a Mind Map

   Evernote is a great choice of a tool to keep oneself organized. Notes, images, web sites and other information that you want to have at your fingertips is always available. Store your critical information for future reference and it is synced to all of your devices for ease of access. Now ConceptDraw MINDMAP supports sending the information from your mind map to your Evernote account. Want to send just a single topic from your mind map? Easy! Want to send a branch from your mind map to Evernote? Easy! Want to send an outline of your entire map to Evernote? Also, easy! Want to send an outline of your map, an image of your map, plus a copy of your mind map file? Done!

    Now critical information from your mindmaps can be accessed from almost any device using ConceptDraw MINDMAP and Evernote. Being organized and efficient has never been this easy before. Your information is available where and how you need it. All information you send from ConceptDraw MINDMAP is indexed for you by Evernote, making information easy to find and use.

   So you are familiar with Evernote, what is ConceptDraw MINDMAP? ConceptDraw MINDMAP is a powerful and intuitive tool that can be used to support brainstorming, organize notes, and create polished presentations. ConceptDraw MINDMAP has an inexhaustible number of uses.

     New to ConceptDraw MINDMAP is the Note Exchange Solution, a feature that allows quick and easy export of MINDMAP documents through Evernote. This powerful feature of ConceptDraw MINDMAP allows one to pair the power of MINDMAP with the accessibility of the world’s favorite human memory platform, Evernote. This Solution permits users to develop and organize notes and tasks in ConceptDraw MINDMAP and then,with a press of a button, allows the work to be accessed later, regardless of preferred platform.

     With a comprehensive list of platforms supported for the Evernote client (plus the option of web access of Evernote-based content) gives users access to important MINDMAP documents virtually on anything. With ConceptDraw MINDMAP Note Exchange Solution, users can upload to Evernote a single topic, selected topics, branch or branches (topics with subtopics), a whole single page mind map, or the entire multi-page document.

   ConceptDraw MINDMAP can be used for meeting agendas, note taking, to do lists, requirements gathering, decision support, project planning, presentation development, script development, writing organization, research, event planning, tracking progress, etc. ConceptDraw MINDMAP presents information in a manner that makes it easy for people to go from a 50,000 foot view and then with a single click dive into the detail as required. The ability to present a comprehensive high-level view with supporting detail is what makes ConceptDraw MINDMAP a real workhorse. Not only is ConceptDraw economical, but it gives users the ability to do more with increased efficiency.

Management Infographics

    Infographics, in one form or another, have been around for many years. They are used by businesses, media, government or brands to convey information, data or knowledge in a visual manner. The basic premise of an infographic is as follows:

• Condense large amounts of information into an easily absorbable form
• Display data and information through use of visual elements
• Combine these elements to present an overriding message or insight

    Two common examples of an infographic that you might see most days are a subway map, or the T.V. weather report. Both use graphical elements to represent things such as weather patterns and rail lines, and have an explicit, functional message they need to convey. They follow the archetype structure of the infographic, made up of three parts — the visual, the content, and the knowledge.

    Visual
This covers the colours and graphics used on an infographic. Graphics can either represent specific pieces of data (theme graphics), or point towards particular areas of information (reference graphics).


    Content
All the information you need to convey the main message. Facts, figures, and statistical breakdowns.


    Knowledge

This is the message you want to convey to the reader. In the two examples previously mentioned, this would be informing viewers of the coming weather forecast, and instruct commuters on how to reach their destination.

    Infographics have become ubiquitous with modern day communication. This can be understood as the internet and social media providing a great platform for a communication method that shows information quickly and simply in a visual manner; and also as a necessity due to a trend towards a lower attention span from internet users.

    It is no surprise that this effective form of communication is used in all forms of business, for a variety of tasks. An infographic is suitable for whenever you need to convey data or a corporate message to the workforce.

    A sales team might want to show their performance over a certain time period, with a breakdown of different products/divisions/locations. Charts, graphs, and other indicators can be used to display corporate data and statistics, and split information into clearly defined sub-sections.

    Management might want to communicate a basic workflow for each division of the company, visualise business strategy and decision processes, or display a certain business training concept. In this case, an infographic can be more text heavy, and use illustrations to establish a timeline, process, or step-by-step sequence of events.

    The marketing side of a business can use infographics to relay information and marketing strategies internally amongst the workforce, or as a tool to educate consumers about the business model or product.

    The benefits of using such a visual method to convey your business ideas are tied to what we know about human behaviour when learning or processing new information. The majority of people are termed as 'visual learners' — so infographics have a broader influence than other methods of communication. Vision is our dominant sense; we process images faster than text, and can much more easily retain information that is accompanied by a visual cue. So a well designed infographic has the power to be more persuasive and striking than a simple block of text. They are user friendly to design — large amounts of information can be divided and shown in a clean, effective manner. Graphics and icons are eye catching, and easy to understand without the need for too much context.

Communicate visually

    Since the beginning of our existence, humans have searched for ways in which to communicate ideas or information visually. Early man left cave paintings demonstrating hunting techniques and ceremony, while the ancient Egyptians created a writing system based around glyphs and symbols, using common cultural icons such as jackals or scarab beetles to denote a certain sound or meaning. As language has evolved, and the methods of delivery have become more technologically advanced, we have found ever increasing applications for visual communication. Now it is rare to find an instance of media, business reporting, or educational material without some element of illustration, icons, charts or graphs used to emphasise, or in lieu of, supporting text. Recent studies have proven that the brain retains information better when it is associated with a visual cue, but it seems like we have always inherently known this — after all, what serves a better purpose, a Wanted poster with a text description of the criminal, or the same info underneath an artist's impression of his face?

    Advertisement is a form of visual communication that we may see a hundred times a day without ever consciously acknowledging, but its effects are clear and powerful — everyone associates Nike with the tick, McDonalds with the golden arches. Iconic brands such as these show the strength of supporting a message with focused imagery, and demonstrate the key ideology that visual communication can be used to persuade, educate or inform to greater effect than text alone.

    There are other cultural memes that have become instantly recognizable in the modern age. A television weather forecast uses a combination of weather pattern symbols (clouds, sun, etc.), climate maps to show rainfall, and contour maps to show isobars. You could watch a forecast in any language, and you would have some idea of what weather to expect that day. Similarly, tube maps are designed so that a person might see them for the first time, and use the colour code and station key to navigate the platforms easily. Now, that might not always be the case, but certainly your average city-dweller will have some idea how to get around whether they are in Moscow or London.

Fig. 1. London Tube Map

    Universal symbols that communicate short, useful ideas or guidelines are on every corner. Fire escape plans, exit signs, road markings, are all designed to have maximum visual impact, to leave a lasting impression on the mind.

    Outside of the more social applications, various fields of business rely on visual communication for the effective planning, deployment, and reporting of business process. The Stock Market and other exchanges have long used different charts and graphs to display trading movement; statistical data is a lot easier to digest in proportional visual form than from a list of figures. A project timeline looks better in Gantt chart form than as a list of bullet points. The primary aim is to present visual documents that all stakeholders can view and take information from — bridging knowledge gaps and dispensing with overly technical terminology.

    Those working within computer network and system design often utilize modeling 'languages', a group of symbols or icons that represent certain aspects of network architecture. One such example would be the Unified Modeling Language (UML), which introduced a standardized set of symbols used to visualize the design of any computer system.

    Probably the first book you were shown was based entirely on the theory of visual communication. Most children's ABC books opened something like A is for apple, B is for boat — with a suitable picture to accompany. This is the beginning of a learning process that will rely heavily on visual stimulus, which in turn helps the comprehension, retention, and critical thinking of the students who learn that way. A visual aid is suitable for any subject; a diagram can map the solar system or the ocean floor, an infographic can display information on economic growth in Africa or transport habits in Australia. Mathematics would be rendered useless with bar charts, histograms and scatter diagrams, while geography would suffer without topological and thematic maps.

Fig. 2. Ranks US States by Peacefulness
We can see visual presentation is intrinsic to conveying information for a variety of purposes. Here are some examples of the many forms that can be used, and their key design elements:

• Charts, graphs and matrices — useful in showing statistical data, and able to present results in multiple visual forms. Pie charts and bar charts show data as proportional to the size of the bar, or piece of pie. Line graphs are used to compare two variables, while scatter diagrams display data as a collection of points to show frequency of a certain value. A key tool for project managers is the Gantt chart — a project chart that gives a detailed rundown on project completion, resource allocation and budgetary requirements.
  
  
  
  Fig. 3. MultiProject Dashboard
• Infographics — combines text with relevant icons and ideograms to illustrate a certain point or piece of information. They are a popular form of visual communication due to flexible design possibilities and the way they can be effectively spread through social media platforms. Infographics can be used in education, management or marketing for various purposes, but always in a manner that is easily accessible to all viewers.
  
  
  
  Fig. 4. International Education Infogram
• Geospatial visuals — these can relate to any map or chart that describes a geographical condition. Apart from standard road, transport, and topology maps, these are found in a number of fields; a weather analyst will use precipitation distribution maps and weather patter models, while a political scientist will have need for voter division diagrams and population density maps.
  
  
  
  Fig. 5. Mindmap Breakout Project
• Infographics — absolutely fundamental to any architect who plans on starting a large-scale construction. For just a single house you could produce garden design plans and property blueprints, wiring and plumbing diagrams, and diagrams showing interior decor and fittings. Business companies can require carefully outlined fire drill plans and building maps.

ConceptDraw's solution

    The suite of software products from ConceptDraw has been designed specifically to allow you to communicate visually with full freedom. For educators, accountants, students, computer engineers, scientists, managers, or anyone with an idea to communicate, ConceptDraw provide the tools and solutions you need to take an idea from conception to actuality.

    ConceptDraw MINDMAP is a launching pad for your ideas, and an effective method of presenting abstract concepts in a coherent visual manner, that has the option of running in group collaboration mode — where everyone can provide input, linking information together on the page as fast as it comes to mind. To allow mindmaps to be easily shared, ConceptDraw offer solutions that enhance compatibility with Twitter and Skype, giving direct access to social media platforms. There is in-house compatibility too, with the possibility to export your topic ideas from MINDMAP, and have them appear in ConceptDraw PROJECT as new projects, resources, or tasks.

    Project managers have to keep track of many different variables throughout a project's completion, and graphical data reporting is a key part of understanding whether it's running efficiently or not. ConceptDraw PROJECT provides a platform to visually manage a project portfolio using the Gantt chart format, and works in conjunction with ConceptDraw PRO to produce a project dashboard displaying diagrams relating to all aspects of project data and participants. PRO can also be used to create the Gantt chart in drawing form.

Fig. 6. Project Management Radial Tasks Diagram

    ConceptDraw PRO is one of the market leading diagramming and vector drawing software, continually extended with graphic solutions to give full freedom of expression with visual communication. Data can be represented using custom built Live Objects, through graphs, charts and dashboards. PRO can be used to create diagrams of any scale — from house and building plans, down to the computer network and software inside it. Should you just want to produce a picture just for the artistic sake of it, ConceptDraw provide libraries of vector stencil clipart on a wide range of themes, to help make a design bold and vibrant.

ConceptDraw Solution Park collects all these tools and extensions in one area, organized by subject or purpose. It is a largely free resource that is constantly updated and added to, and so provides ongoing value to the software. All users, whether they are designing complex schematics or simple charts or infographics, will find a solution to help them. ConceptDraw provides a complete visual communication package of professional software and effective graphic design solutions.

Computer Network Diagrams

When you walk into most modern work offices, there is a good chance you will be greeted by banks of computer screens and terminals, perhaps some sales points screens or server stacks, almost certainly routers and printers. A side effect of this amount of hardware is the amount of cabling necessary to connect these elements into an effective local area network (LAN). With technology and market forces demanding ever quicker business response times, a well-structured computer network is the foundation of positive communication between employees, and with the wider world.

As anyone who has struggled sorting out all the wires behind a television can empathize, it's good to know which cables go where, and what is their function. This is the idea behind a computer network diagram — it can show how a network is connected, how data transfers between those connections, and give an overview of devices and hardware used. To create a practical diagram, the user must adhere to the specified requirements and limitations of the office or building in which the LAN will operate — things such as hardware availability, company budget and customer needs must all be taken into account.

There are two main forms of computer network diagram:

Physical topology diagram

These diagrams show the physical arrangement of a network, the order in which devices are connected, and the cables used to connect them. Which cabling to use is determined by the type of topology employed, and there are three main forms in use currently:

• Star — by far the most common topology, most people at home on their personal computer will be using a very basic form of this. At the center of the network is a hub, generally a router, where each device connects to it only. Data transmissions between devices is managed through this central hub, and sent from it over wired or Wi-Fi connections.
  
  
  

  Fig. 1. Star topology

• Ring — as the name suggests, devices using this topology have two connections, joining with neighbouring devices to form a loop. Data passes through the loop, copying itself to any destination address.
• Bus — similar to a ring, but the data travels up and down a linear cable, copying itself where devices act as 'stations' along the route. This method is useful for small networks, or when adding an extra device to one, but should the main cable fail it can bring down the network.

Logical topology diagram

A logical topology adds a further level of detail to a computer network diagram, by showing along which path data is transferred around the network, the network protocols that govern it, and how it is received by the various nodes and devices. They can show elements such as firewalls or software specifications.

While the logical topology can mirror the form of the physical, it is possible for them to be different. For instance, data travelling through a physical 'star' topology will travel ostensibly around a 'ring' within the router, checking whether each device matches the destination address.

Fig. 2. Logical bus with physical star topology

Network architecture

Combining the elements from these topologies creates a layered picture of the network architecture, which can basically be defined as the design of a communications network — a framework for its physical components, and a clearly defined set of principles and procedures. Although these rules can often be quite rigid, a computer network diagram does not just to be a simple arrangement of lines and text — computer network diagram symbols can added and utilized to represent real-world locations, end-user interactions, or specific hardware.

Logical and physical topology diagrams are ideal for depicting LANs, but often business demands a network on a much larger scale. A global network connecting devices in disparate areas is known as a wide area network (WAN), and it will generally use a dedicated form of connection in order to keep up communication, for instance satellite or leased lines. They can be shown on diagrams using the methods outlined above — the diagram will show a 'step back' from a LAN, showing the structure of connections between LANs within the WAN.

Fig. 3. Computer Network Diagram

Drawing tools from ConceptDraw

For many years, the software engineers at ConceptDraw have dedicated themselves to releasing innovative and comprehensive diagramming solutions, adding extra functionality to their award winning software, ConceptDraw PRO. Each one contains libraries of graphic illustrations and symbols, together with user-friendly templates to help the user get started. With the Computer Network Diagrams solution, network architects and heads of IT departments have an all-in-one drawing tool that provides indispensable vector stencils depicting branded hardware, telecommunication devices, and logical symbols that allow freedom of expression in diagram, however complex the network might be.

The support from ConceptDraw doesn't end with the solution libraries. Apart from the quick-start templates provided, the dedicated solution page contains a set of network diagram samples, showcasing the options and styles available. There is also detailed 'How-to' section that goes step-by-step through the process of creating a variety of diagrams, and of course a wealth of video and text material can be found through the ConceptDraw 'Help' section.

Whether rapidly sketching out a personal network, or visualizing complex topology to share with a company team, the Computer Network Diagrams solution for ConceptDraw PRO has all the tools needed to make productive and professional network diagrams.

U.S.A. state maps

The United States of America; land of the free, home of the brave, fond of a cliché. A vast nation brought together under the Star-Spangled Banner, but split by state lines, political alliances, and cultural norms. To try and define the country as a whole is a futile task — it's often said the reason many Americans don't travel abroad is because they can experience anything the world has to offer within their borders. Perhaps it's not as hyperbolic as its sounds — sprawling metropolises are buffered by mountain ranges, deserts, forests and beaches; large immigrant communities have been established, including Latino, French, Irish and Caribbean; weather can range between freezing cold, to searing heat, with everything from hurricanes, tornados and dust storms in between. The U.S.A. is divided into 50 states, and the only two that don't border other states give a good example of the cultural and geographical juxtapositions found within the nation — Alaska to the North is a frozen tundra, shutting down in the darkness of winter, whereas the islands of Hawaii are a famed tropical paradise, attracting beach goers and surfers from the world over. They also both contribute to the ethnic diversity of the U.S. with their own indigenous peoples, the Polynesians of Hawaii, and the Eskimo tribes covering Alaska and Canada.

The Pacific states

The 50 states serve as the most recognizable form of geographical division within the U.S., but these can be broken down further into counties and townships. Certain states are officially grouped together into homogenous regions, comprising the North-East, Midwest, South and West. Furthermore, numerous colloquial regions have been identified and become a part of the national lexicon — the deep South, the Bible belt, the mountain states, New England or the Pacific Northwest to name but a few. Governing such an expansive and diverse populace is a challenging prospect. American politics are dominated by the Democratic and Republican parties, and broadly and historically speaking, it can be said the 'Yankee' North favours the Democrats, with the 'Confederate' South supporting the Republicans. Further nuance can be discovered by examining political preferences geographically between states and counties, and combining that data with social factors such as age or race.

Illinois Senatorial election results 2014

Any country can inspire a wealth of geopolitical statistical data, though America more than most. A common way of assimilating this data is to create maps that convey a particular theme or subject matter in relation to a specific geographical area. Known as thematic maps, they cover themes such as population density, average rainfall, or political allegiance, differentiating the data by using graphical elements and annotation. These are the main three uses for a thematic map:

• To provide specific information about particular locations
• To provide general information about spatial patterns
• To compare pattern between two or more maps

Thematic maps contrast general reference maps, which tend to display information on a variety of subjects — vegetation, topology, roads and highways, for example. A thematic map will always focus on one particular subject matter. When designing these maps, cartographers use five main techniques:

Choropleth mapping — this technique assigns a colour hue or shade to a particular region on a map, that corresponds with a data value. For instance a map of the U.S.A. might colour each state red or blue, to show whether they support the Democrats or Republicans.

Florida population by county

Proportional symbols — these maps use symbols that vary in size depending on the data they are representing. So a U.S. map showing cities might mark them using a skyscraper symbol that grows in size the larger the cities population.

Isarithmic maps — also known as contour mapping, this methodology is used to depict continuous, smooth elements such as elevation levels across a land mass, or a barometric pressure indicator, similar to what you might see on a T.V. weather programme.

Dot distribution maps — in these maps, one dot represents one incident of a certain event or condition. A map focusing on a particular United States region might use a dot to represent each sighting of a grizzly bear in the Pacific Northwest. You will know to avoid travelling to places where the dots are tightly clustered!

Dasymetric maps — similar to a chloropleth map, but doesn't divide the area arbitrarily, instead showing levels of density in reference to the geography of the land. This method can be used to show density of forestry over a large area for example, with a green hue that becomes darker where the concentration of trees are highest.

ConceptDraw have created a new solution, this time offering accurate vector stencil maps of all 50 U.S. states. These can be used as the base for any thematic map of your choosing. The U.S.A. Maps solution for ConceptDraw PRO contains 9 libraries, each covering a certain region of the U.S., and each state map contained within gives the option of adding further detail — an action menu allows you to show or hide county borders, their names, as well as capitals and major cities. Used in combination with ConceptDraw PRO's other features, cartographers are able to annotate their maps, adjust the colour and shading of different areas, and add icons and graphics to enhance a professional looking thematic map.

With major geographical features accounted for, and accurate scaled U.S. state maps, the U.S.A. Maps solution saves time on information sourcing, and makes graphic map design a quick and easy process.