[Libs-Or] Tech-Talk: WEB TOOL – Try Miro.com for Interactive Brainstorming

Tue May 14 13:55:22 PDT 2024

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Use this tool for whiteboard planning

[https://files.constantcontact.com/ee1208b4001/34916cb2-412f-43fa-8294-1f7ecb0e9a3d.png]

[A serene lake with vibrant blue waters surrounded by majestic, snow-capped mountains, featuring a small dock with colorful canoes and a clickable overlay with link to a tech tutorial video.]<https://opiayfbab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001HpLr71emkzlnDqDzYaX91nNiuvHPCJ4pluHvliKc-vah-EifpdFPjEmZkyuMNbXlRdsAYBhFfXAon5ZDnYJPctjn08yTQM-hrmt3qpPmRxrbMGIXK-qZRXh2xqR6_NY6IJzF3R4pTvpAgymZZ5K6_TKV-U6ntgMxloGt3TemmV-oRBJ3DvgkI-6znWpakoqB7EMHV1ZiZ14=&c=ZDZgJzLUhZhnV_qVsTBmYTsM7CY_Dy_bArRcvUrD2TKUBTI7kjRpYQ==&ch=nl23V5aoBxj9H7JVt6yzcbXRqRaHG7oBLEORg9BIg1j6qUMzAFqo3g==>

Photo by Matthew Fournier<https://opiayfbab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001HpLr71emkzlnDqDzYaX91nNiuvHPCJ4pluHvliKc-vah-EifpdFPjEmZkyuMNbXlQNHU9iQhvJHekRgqC0OANCMKjO56swyNKGA_9ybextNtj-BaYB_JhuodgAMFmE4HzXuqHW0MiJUSjShpAjofOsLdx9Cq7n8doIgR4qqJV1WpqWxwlMBe5gZkgvTunuAFIyt55C243K3iFREvSAgEd_2nVMagFPP9VVMF0uVTION9bGvDohPlVisHEKlQhbeoHTcqtjKOeo4=&c=ZDZgJzLUhZhnV_qVsTBmYTsM7CY_Dy_bArRcvUrD2TKUBTI7kjRpYQ==&ch=nl23V5aoBxj9H7JVt6yzcbXRqRaHG7oBLEORg9BIg1j6qUMzAFqo3g==> on Unsplash<https://opiayfbab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001HpLr71emkzlnDqDzYaX91nNiuvHPCJ4pluHvliKc-vah-EifpdFPjEmZkyuMNbXlN9XKTlVQzttv1PHIxVZlAklaN65KCuIxrb_M1BhhQN9g_Qmj_qGG9lC2OqkgUbStSBobyck_x0xKELfcvmnfX9ex_AicV-9ouldW6K5szwL9g-BIjp4PSoW7V5iDdnhe53FrX0Q1jgIqMvTs_IxOd2GY5RWvIdlqprk4AB7Uyq_n-FZKNLVyFQaGyduFVV-O4sZxxOgEVo5PhSLkyCDd4z1nv2VQLF4X2b588vYHqECFYEAOyeKnAbgWdg4AqzVZAj6YGvJemYA=&c=ZDZgJzLUhZhnV_qVsTBmYTsM7CY_Dy_bArRcvUrD2TKUBTI7kjRpYQ==&ch=nl23V5aoBxj9H7JVt6yzcbXRqRaHG7oBLEORg9BIg1j6qUMzAFqo3g==>

[https://files.constantcontact.com/ee1208b4001/e25f6bcf-26a8-4e59-91f2-cc248962042d.png]<https://opiayfbab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001HpLr71emkzlnDqDzYaX91nNiuvHPCJ4pluHvliKc-vah-EifpdFPjJSREgH3rt9RHIkbB2k_YbrdqZfCRFgZqieh6cHZ0_5txYcLp7Dcy75nbuMY3mGl_PeF3TgHvhnF5DN9iW_Jr1p2-ROhrU4JiqP9MLLAwFKu&c=ZDZgJzLUhZhnV_qVsTBmYTsM7CY_Dy_bArRcvUrD2TKUBTI7kjRpYQ==&ch=nl23V5aoBxj9H7JVt6yzcbXRqRaHG7oBLEORg9BIg1j6qUMzAFqo3g==>

Webinars for You

NOTE: All webinars begin at 3 pm ET / 2 pm CT / 1 pm MT / 12 Noon PT and are one hour long.

·     May 22: [COMMUNICATE] Leadership Communications: Winning Words, Part 2

·     June 12: [WEB TOOLS] Amazingly Helpful Tips for Getting a Book Published

·     June 26: [PPT & G-Slides] Cool Features You Can Use to Shine when Presenting with Slides
·     July 10: [VIDEO] From Screen Recording to Polished Productions

View Webinars and Register Here<https://opiayfbab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001HpLr71emkzlnDqDzYaX91nNiuvHPCJ4pluHvliKc-vah-EifpdFPjI-YI152lzG1VKg2CcFNE5d0kp0FJAxfC0o1_6-sQOXUtd1RAF_c6Sxp6fiO3kwbIDx3ZXoO_AMDuQBq6COHFlXV4m8nfSiPkaJZYupS9MQ5WCjT1mLvkXg=&c=ZDZgJzLUhZhnV_qVsTBmYTsM7CY_Dy_bArRcvUrD2TKUBTI7kjRpYQ==&ch=nl23V5aoBxj9H7JVt6yzcbXRqRaHG7oBLEORg9BIg1j6qUMzAFqo3g==>

WEB TOOL – Try Miro.com for Interactive Brainstorming

Intermediate

Have you ever been working on a project virtually and needed to do some team brainstorming or mind mapping? You wish you were all in the same room in front of a whiteboard with a stack of Post-Its so that everyone could physically participate.

[Two people's hands placing colorful sticky notes on a wall, covered in notes with brainstorming ideas and tasks.]

For example, we were looking for a tool that we could use on a Zoom call, that would help us create an affinity diagram (normally we'd all be in the same room for this exercise). In this type of brainstorming session:

1.  People write ideas on sticky notes, placing them randomly across a large work surface.
2.  Then every individual walks to the board, silently sorting the notes into like-related groups.
3.  Everyone reviews what is in each vertical column as a group, clarifying individual notes as needed with the intent of identifying a category heading
4.  In the end, having moved the Post-its to the correct column, and having the entire team involved ... consensus has been achieved! (See a past webinar on the process here<https://opiayfbab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001HpLr71emkzlnDqDzYaX91nNiuvHPCJ4pluHvliKc-vah-EifpdFPjEmZkyuMNbXlhBX_qLtzZ9AnVFcY3XUZhfuqdohf3NQEd8bMVqBlr8Hq6Sp2YfMdo85rFyhIrvKIOOD5Db22zFbqIzjtItclkQxdJxD5vwOCYSVPlriUo-qqXLl6d3pdRf8aZgZbpZA6zPk-ogIwpX0=&c=ZDZgJzLUhZhnV_qVsTBmYTsM7CY_Dy_bArRcvUrD2TKUBTI7kjRpYQ==&ch=nl23V5aoBxj9H7JVt6yzcbXRqRaHG7oBLEORg9BIg1j6qUMzAFqo3g==>)

[Logo of Miro, featuring stylized black letters "M" and "I" on a yellow square background, next to the word "miro" in black lowercase font.]

When we are working virtually, we need a way to involve everyone as the team is in different locations.

Well, we found a web tool (with a free level) that is the closest thing to being in the same room. It's called Miro.com (pronounced like "Hero").

Miro makes it easy to collaborate. With this digital "whiteboard" platform, you can:

·     Brainstorm with members of your team in "real-time" as each person can access and make changes to the project board from different locations, simultaneously.
·     Craft ideas and create notes by moving them around the board.
·     Use Miro's embedded video call option or online chat to communicate with other team members.
·     Connect to other common platforms like Google Drive, Slack, Asana, Trello, and SurveyMonkey.

[https://files.constantcontact.com/ee1208b4001/91233464-c9bd-47f2-8411-d3f2c981ba64.png]

Think of all the creative ways that Miro can help your team with pre-built templates like:

·     Workflow Planning
·     Training or Strategy Presentations
·     Storyboarding
·     Concept Maps
·     Flowchart
·     Customer Journey map
·     Social media planning
·     Website sitemaps
·     And so much more!

Start Planning with Miro.com

After you create your account at https://miro.com<https://opiayfbab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001HpLr71emkzlnDqDzYaX91nNiuvHPCJ4pluHvliKc-vah-EifpdFPjEmZkyuMNbXl1slD4xsgDsNpWzfBQmMA_xOSitjeuzC6O4C3W7UwF_3ppcFMO7Jx6bkRrhM1APcKFPy4nXO6wsM=&c=ZDZgJzLUhZhnV_qVsTBmYTsM7CY_Dy_bArRcvUrD2TKUBTI7kjRpYQ==&ch=nl23V5aoBxj9H7JVt6yzcbXRqRaHG7oBLEORg9BIg1j6qUMzAFqo3g==>, here's how to get started. First, you'll be prompted to give your account a Team name. At the free level you can keep three boards at any time.

If you upgrade your subscription, you'll have a Project folder, and inside that will be your Boards. As an analogy, your Team is like a filing cabinet, with Projects as the file folders and Boards are the documents in the folder.

[https://files.constantcontact.com/ee1208b4001/1cb28df5-fd10-485a-b6f4-fb311f2a1400.png]

In either type of subscription, once you're logged in you'll be in the dashboard. Here's where you'll also see any projects you've created.

Click the blue New Board button and view a variety of templates (or use the search bar to add keywords to find the type of project you're creating). To start with an empty canvas, close this window by clicking the upper right-corner "X".

For instance, in the image below, we wanted to start a board for the re-design of Tech-Talk navigation. In the search bar, we keyed in "website sitemap" to view the templates available to give us a head start on design.

[Screenshot of a Google search page showing the results for "workflows startups", featuring images and diagrams of various business workflow models.]

If you picked a blank board, jump right in and start adding text, shapes and post-its. Or, if you've chosen a template, customize the layout with your own content.

·     Each board is endless and can be grouped into frames (which are like pages).
·     Zoom in and out the board to see text closer up in three different ways: 1) with the -/+ icons in the bottom right, 2) use your mouse scroll or 3) using a trackpad "pinch."
·     Add elements from the left menu by dragging a text box, sticky note, shape, etc. and dropping it on the whiteboard.

[Screenshot of a Miro online whiteboard interface with various project management tools like sticky notes and diagram icons labeled with team roles such as "Product Owner" and "Developer".]

·     To edit an object, click once to select it and twice to add/edit any text inside of it.
·     Move any object in the work area by clicking on it and dragging it to a new location.
·     When adding text, formatting options appear in the menu above it.
·     Sticky notes come in different colors and are perfect for adding text in planning sessions. After adding one, click Tab to add more in that same color.
·     Once your board is complete, if you want to add more sections to it in the same file, add a Frame for separation to keep the working area organized. To do this, click the Frame icon from the left menu (looks like a hashtag #) and drag the frame around your project area.

Sharing and Collaboration

You can certainly create boards on your own, or invite co-workers (and remote team members) and hold real-time brainstorming and planning sessions.

To invite someone to your board, click the blue Share button in the upper right. Next, type in an email address or invite people from your contacts in Microsoft, Slack or Google connected workspaces. Participation levels can be assigned to each person where they can either be invited to Edit, Comment or just View the board.

[A screenshot of a sign-in interface showing a user's email with options to invite from Microsoft, Slack, and Google. Buttons for 'Can edit', 'Can comment', and 'Can view' are visible.]

If you want to prevent certain parts of your board to be edited by anyone, you can lock individual objects or whole sections. Select one object (or mouse over a whole group of items) and click the Lock icon in the tool bar above it (as in the image below). At any time you can unlock it for group editing.

[Screenshot of a web browser toolbar with various editing tools, highlighting the option to create a column chart.]

Once they have joined the board, team member's avatars will show in the top right of the screen. When they move their cursor on the board you'll see their name. They can ask questions by using a Comment icon from the tool menu on the left.

[A screenshot of a digital project management tool with a timeline and tasks assigned to "Carmen," "Chris," and "Natalie." Annotations and arrows highlight specific features and due dates.]

[A series of smooth, dark stones arranged in a line, half-submerged in calm, reflective water with a soft, gray background.]

Communication: 6 Listening Skills

#5: Wait, don't interrupt

When someone is talking to you, and you're excited about what they are saying, it is very hard not to interrupt, right?

Whether you're agreeing with what is being said, or disagreeing, if you're like most folks, you're eager to get your thoughts out on the matter.

Even if you don't bust right in and start talking, interrupting the other person, your mind is thinking about what you are going to say. That's a silent interruption. Try to avoid doing that.

To be a better listener, concentrate on not speaking until the other individual is finished ... out loud or silently.

It may seem to you, that you are listening when you interrupt someone to add your thoughts. (I mean you must be listening, right, for you to be able to make your comments.) But the reality is that when you interrupt, you are saying, "OK, I've heard enough, now listen to me."

[https://files.constantcontact.com/ee1208b4001/b13a7a6a-7445-4d8e-b741-4b475385ef5b.png]<https://opiayfbab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001HpLr71emkzlnDqDzYaX91nNiuvHPCJ4pluHvliKc-vah-EifpdFPjPkpxQffieujAfv4UxPNRhwDGx0aievfUL0zCGz2bYI1jsGIjd1kgfalazNURck5GtB-7nJJezZLDfz85Akip80N0kYqiQRWmSx1WLJou9ow3j6N1DZfFgg=&c=ZDZgJzLUhZhnV_qVsTBmYTsM7CY_Dy_bArRcvUrD2TKUBTI7kjRpYQ==&ch=nl23V5aoBxj9H7JVt6yzcbXRqRaHG7oBLEORg9BIg1j6qUMzAFqo3g==>

[Ask a question]<https://opiayfbab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001HpLr71emkzlnDqDzYaX91nNiuvHPCJ4pluHvliKc-vah-EifpdFPjC9seGqAx8PdCt1cPX1We7_b4kvTzrD0QJfY0KLGHw2ejtUzeeQjteKS0w1Y7nABUQbFyYixI7oGzx5Hr8QHqG0Xo24BpGY_v4PXZ14Y_D2-8Xg9OzjQL08=&c=ZDZgJzLUhZhnV_qVsTBmYTsM7CY_Dy_bArRcvUrD2TKUBTI7kjRpYQ==&ch=nl23V5aoBxj9H7JVt6yzcbXRqRaHG7oBLEORg9BIg1j6qUMzAFqo3g==>

Copyright 1996-2024 Shared Results International. Published weekly. Distribution is limited by license. For information on how to include additional recipients, contact support at tech-talk.com<mailto:support at tech-talk.com> 585-615-7795.

Cheers,
Darci Hanning, MLIS (she/her/hers)
Public Library Consultant / CE Coordinator
Continuing Education Resources: https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/conted
State Library of Oregon | Library Support and Development Services
971-375-3491 | darci.hanning at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:darci.hanning at slo.oregon.gov> | www.oregon.gov/library<http://www.oregon.gov/library>
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