Sunday, November 6, 2011

Tool update - Gliffy.com

Just wanted to share that I'm working on my first TP project and I came across this web site that offers a Visio-like, web based, tool. All I had to do was register and start working. The tool is easy to use, for some reason I find it a bit less frustrating than Visio and, graphically speaking, the results are great.
The free account lets you hold up to 5 public diagrams on the server. So if you need more diagrams or privacy you'll have to pay a monthly fee and upgrade. I'm still in my 30 days trial so I can define documents as private. Another great feature is the ability to collaborate with others as you build your diagram. The site sends them a link to connect and they can edit the document as well.
There are no TOC specific abilities, of course, but if you are not ready to commit or know you'll just need a tree here and there it seems like a great tool. Here's an example of how it looks:
Of course I could have taken on  Flying Logic's 30 days trial (I reported on the TP training in their tutorial here) but I don't feel ready for that commitment. At the end of that trial period I'll have to make up my mind - pay or leave and I am not expecting enough TP work in the coming weeks to support that decision, so a TP supporting tool will just have to wait and I'll just have to work a bit more. If you decide to purchase  check it out in Amazon.

2 comments:

Bob Sproull said...

Hi Orion. Please let us know how this tool works out for you. I use Visio most of the time, but if this tool is easier to use, I may be interested. Does this software have specific diagrams for other TOC tools like the Intermediate Objectives Map (IO Map). I use the IO Map all of the time as people seem to "get it" much faster than the other tools. Thanks for sharing this with us and let us know how it works out.

Bob Sproull

Unknown said...

Hi Bob,
I will update this post if I have anything to add about this tool.
I have not used Visio for a very long time but I still recall frustration. Working with this web tool does hold some frustration, but it is not the main "after taste".
As I stated there are no TOC specific tools there, not even for IO maps. Just the usual suspects....
Hope this helps
Orion