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Milanote – The Creator’s Tool

milanote-layout-design-creative-tool
12Jun, 2020

Over the years, we’ve tried just about every digital organizational tool out there. Some tools we use all the time and recommend to clients, others we’ve tried and moved on from. We are always looking for new, better ways to do things. When we first heard about Milanote we were intrigued.

Although we are something of a “creative” agency, we generally take a more utilitarian approach to things. Most of the tools we use and recommend to our clients are traditionally business-focused. Simple, straight-forward ways of organizing information and communicating with clients are what we love using. So the first time we jumped into Milanote we honestly weren’t sure what to think.

Milanote is not your traditional business tool. In fact, I would say that it is strongly suited towards the individual, creative person looking for a way to layout their thoughts. However, the more we used it, the more we think it could be a really unique business tool. Let’s look at the interface:

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Milanote Project Template

Milanote is made up of boards and boards can be made up of lists, images, cards, and even other boards. To make it simple, a new board can be kicked off from one of their many templates like the image above. That really helped us start to get our heads around the unique value of the application.

First of all, the drag-and-drop nature makes it very simple to arrange your screen how you see fit. Drop in outside files and items from the menu bar on the left. Add a variety of items, connect them with arrows, and layout just about any flow you need.

Initially, this sort of functionality in Milanote seemed great for a creative artist. Organize the plot of your next novel. Maybe a journalist could drag-and-drop all of the pieces of their next front page article. There are some amazing business applications as well though.

Milanote for Businesses

Where we see it for business use is mapping project management or workflow. A lot of work we do with business clients of all sizes involves trying to map existing processes. Milanote makes that a snap as we can drop photos of employees, charts of departments, and draw arrows that explain how these pieces communicate and work together within the organization.

Other helpful use case of Milanote involves our launch of new custom software for business clients. When we develop applications, or integrate other software into their existing workflow, we need to explain how it operates. The visual flow chart ability of Milanote allows us to quickly explain how everything operates.

Milanote Wrap Up

Our job is to try new software so that we can make our client’s lives easier. We have a really solid repository of options, most of them are low-cost or no-cost solutions that play well with what businesses need. After spending some time exploring Milanote, we will definitely be adding it to our recommendation list.

The simplicity is the beauty of it. There’s no long list of features or explanations that are needed here. It’s really just a straight forward options to help map out your workflow, processes, project management, org chart, or just about anything requiring a visualization. Even a normal brainstorming session will be enhanced by using Milanote. Give it a shot today.

About The Author
Business Consultant with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. Focused on helping businesses achieve more through Process Evaluation, Software Acquisition, and Customer Relationship Management. Experience creating and administering Quickbase applications - Quickbase Certified App Builder. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Grassroots Organizing, Event Management, Media Relations, and Fundraising. Strong analytical professional with a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) focused in Local Government from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.