Miro.com is an online whiteboard application that allows users to electronically simulate sticky-notes and diagrams in a collaborative fashion. What impressed me though wasn’t the technology itself, but the plethora of templates that it offers. There are literally hundreds of formats to visually represent information, including everything from PEST to SOAR, SWAT, SMART, and SIPOC just to name a few.
Miro templates — or their low-tech physical whiteboard equivalent — are used in research, agile workflows, projects, strategy, planning, mind maps, storyboarding, measurements, concepting, meetings, and design. Scrolling through the pages and pages of template options made me realize that knowing which format to use to visually share information is a key communication decision in itself.
Whether you use the software or not, it’s worth your time to look at the site to expand your visual toolbox. Knowing your options could make all the difference in your ability to communicate effectively.
