Idea Sketch for Windows 8

Idea Sketch for Windows 8 is a great app for creating easy to edit brainstorming mind maps. You can create diagrams and flow charts for multiple projects easily, and edit and customize your maps to make them as useful as possible.

Pros

Great looks: This is a great looking app. It is styled to fit in with the rest of the Windows 8 theme but is also handsome in its own right. The diagrams that it creates are extremely clean, which makes following them after you've created your map extremely straightforward. The problem with similar apps is that they often get cluttered looking and difficult to follow. That's never a problem with Idea Sketch.

Straightforward controls: A small toolbar along the bottom of the screen provides you with all of the controls you need. At a glance, it is easy to see which adjusts the color, which adjust the text size, and which allows you to zoom in or out of your map. You spend no time fumbling through controls, as everything seems to just make sense, which makes it fun to use the app.

Outline: The feature that allows you to view your work as a map or an outline works seamlessly.

Cons

Basic: This app works well for creating easy-to-follow diagrams. However, it lacks the power of certain similar apps that would be useful for creating maps.

Bottom Line

For basic brainstorming and mind mapping that is easy to read, customize, and edit, Idea Sketch is a very useful app. This app shines most when mapping out relatively simple ideas. It is fun to use, which is a great thing to see in an app designed to encourage thinking and creativity.

Editors' note: This is a review of the trial version of Idea Sketch for Windows 8.