Creating areas in a digital mural helps organize your content, structure collaborative sessions, and define specific sections on your canvas. These areas act as visual containers, making it easier to manage complex projects and guide participants through different activities.
Steps to Create Areas in a Mural
To create an area within your digital mural, follow these straightforward steps:
- Access the Areas Tool: Locate and click the Tables and areas icon in the left sidebar of your mural canvas. This icon typically represents structured layouts or containers.
- Select Area Type: Choose the type of area that best suits your needs:
- Freeform area: Click or drag and drop this option onto your canvas for a flexible, resizable container.
- Grid area: Click or drag and drop this option onto your canvas for a structured, cell-based layout.
- Name Your Area: Once the area is placed, immediately type a descriptive name for it. A clear name helps in navigation and understanding its purpose.
Understanding Area Types
Mural platforms typically offer different area types to accommodate various organizational needs:
- Freeform Areas: These are highly flexible and allow you to define any size or shape of container. They are ideal for:
- Grouping related ideas or sticky notes informally.
- Creating general sections for brainstorming sessions.
- Highlighting a specific part of the mural without strict boundaries.
- Grid Areas: These provide a structured layout, often resembling a table with rows and columns. They are perfect for:
- Setting up frameworks like a SWOT analysis or a business model canvas.
- Creating Kanban boards for task management.
- Structuring activities that require participants to add content to specific cells.
Benefits of Using Areas
Incorporating areas into your mural design significantly enhances its functionality and user experience:
- Improved Organization: Areas provide clear visual boundaries, helping to segment your mural into manageable sections and prevent clutter.
- Enhanced Collaboration: They guide collaborators, indicating where specific activities should take place or where certain types of information belong.
- Streamlined Navigation: With named areas, participants can quickly jump to relevant sections, making large murals less overwhelming.
- Structured Workflows: Grid areas, in particular, can enforce a structured approach to certain exercises, ensuring consistency and completeness.
- Presentation Ready: Well-defined areas make your mural look polished and professional, ideal for sharing or presenting outcomes.
