Brainstorm online with bubbl.us. Easily create colorful mind maps to print or share with others. Almost no learning curve. Businesses, universities, and other schools are using bubbl.us worldwide to generate ideas, map out processes and create presentations.
Wikibrains is a social brainstorming tool that helps you think. It's fast, visual and fun. Put in a word or topic and see what others have brainstormed or start one of your own.
I've used many mind mapping tools and find them lacking in functionality (xmind) , expensive (inspiration) or very hard to use (Free Mind). Most of these tools will not allow you to have 2 main topics and create a double bubble map (like a venn diagram). Edraw Mind Map has a very easy to use ribbon interface similar to Word 2010 and tons of built in symbols and mind mapping templates. It is free for educational use and their site has tons of video tutorials that cover all the nifty features. It's the first mind mapping program where I felt like I wasn't fighting the interface.
The trick to effective mind mapping is finding the right tool for the job - whether that tool is pen and paper, as Guy Lewis used to unravel his personal life, or dedicated software, as Patrick Lynch used to explain Wild Apricot's features to his colleagu