Technology Tuesday - Omni Outliner - Build Outlines Like a Pro
Do you need to capture your thoughts in a quick, organized fashion? When inspiration hits, how do you ensure that you get that information into a place and way that you can refer back to later? For many people, creating an outline is the best way to not only record what you are thinking, it is an excellent way to brainstorm and build on core ideas.We all remember building outlines in school and all of the ‘rules’ that apply to create them. Wouldn’t it be better to have a tool that made it simple - where you could just focus on getting the ideas out of your head and somewhere to reference back to? And then once you have completed the thought development process have those ideas organized, easy to read, and look good all at the same time? That is what OmniOutliner does for me.
How I use OmniOutliner
I like to use OmniOutliner for a couple of specific tasks. First I use the application for building agendas for meetings and calls. The tools make it very easy to organize the information and create columns to define time frames, topics, speakers, and locations. I can set up a template for these types of situations and ensure they always have a consistent look and feel for my team. The formatting is easy to apply throughout the document and makes what I do very professional looking.
The second task I always use OmniOutliner for is building a quick framework for longer form writing. While I do not use it for most of the regular blog posts, anything that will be multiple sections or a series of articles, I build an outline first to work from. The way OmniOutliner is set up, it allows me to not only build the multi-level outline, but place notes, web links, or pictures inside of the outline without being distracting. I can close those items up and see only the outline or I can expand the information and use it while I am working on other areas of the outline. In many cases this allows me to then copy and paste directly from the outline document into the final article I am writing.
On occasion, I also use OmniOutliner as a brainstorming tool and way to capture my thoughts free-flowing. I typically use a mind-mapping application, but sometimes building an outline just works better. The great thing about OmniOutliner is it has the flexibility. In fact, when I do use a mind mapping application (Mind Node is my software of choice) it allows me to import that information into OmniOutliner and builds the outline format for me. It allows for the best of both worlds.
Why I use it instead of a word processor
I have found that using OmniOutliner for building outlines easier to use than regular word processors. Microsoft Word or Apple Pages does create simple outlines, the formatting benefits of OmniOutliner make it worth having as a dedicated tool for my writing and planning. Within the application, you can apply formatting such as background colors, bold, or font size by the level of your outline. For example, if you wanted all of your main topics to be a bold font and a larger point size than other lines, you can do that at the same time for the entire document instead of having to do that line by line.
The other reason I prefer OmniOutliner over basic word processors is what I mentioned above - the ability to add notes for specific lines or thoughts within the outline itself. It becomes self-contained and easy to reference when I need it.
How to make it work for you
OmniOutliner eliminates any concerns about compatibility as well. You can export your outline to almost any format that another user might need. It is easy to send your work as a PDF, Word Document, Pages Document, HTML, Excel, and even as a PowerPoint file. It provides a tremendous level of flexibility regardless of your needs.
You can select to use OmniOutliner either as a MacOS application or an iOS application. They work seamlessly together especially when you utilize the companies free syncing solution.OmniOutliner is available as a free application from the App Store and offers multiple options for a paid version to give you all of the available features. You can start for free to get a good feel for how this tool can work for you. I highly recommend giving it a try to see what a difference it can make for you writing and planning in the future.How could you benefit from software that helps organize your thoughts and ideas? Share what you are currently doing today in the comments section.