Oct 17, 2022
Xmind UI Design Now Is Open-Source
Shin
As the pioneer in the field of mind mapping software, sharing knowledge, embracing innovation and user-first have always been the beliefs we uphold. As early as 2008, Xmind launched an open-source version, and our font ‘NeverMind’ is also open and free for commercial use.
This is the first time our UI design made public and shared. It is to show our dedication to design for our users, as well as our contemplation to keep innovating and striving for meticulousness and excellence.
Highly Unified Design Language.
The Consistency
A great design is not defined by how good it looks but by how it could combine its functions and uses for users. We care deeply about how our software interacts with our users - this is what truly values our purpose of bringing the best experience to our users.
Xmind has a
perfect adaptation
to different platforms. As a cross-platform software, we consider the characteristics of different operating systems and make compliance with system specifications to meet our users’ habits to a greater extent. For example, in the design of the toolbar, the top menu bar commonly used in macOS systems is missing in Windows, so we improved it for the Windows version by adding the menu button on the far left.
natural and harmonious
for each platform.
Keeping the Interface Light and Airy.
No Fussy, Only Comfort and Quality
Simplicity and efficiency are our primary design principles. We make full use of white space and simple elements to achieve complex interaction interfaces that are clear, flexible, and highly consistent, and to comprehensively facilitate our users to be familiar with the software functions faster.
The panels and toolbars are minimally restrained-designed with no hint of redundancy in the interface, with a small number of controls, partitioned according to function logic.
clear visual hierarchy
of information through repeated deliberation on contrast, text, and element spacing.Each section is empowered with clear functional purposes, and each action button serves exactly as its function should. There’s
no chaos
in the toolbars and working panels.
Ultimate User-Friendly
We believe that exceptional design is essential to define and maintain a superb experience for the users. A question that we always ask ourselves rhetorically: As a product, when stripped of the coating fancy, do you still love it? Does it still work for you?
We constantly remind ourselves by distilling information, polishing them, making necessary additions and subtractions, and reorganizing our design conceptually.
For instance, when it comes to color design, we make additions. The primary toolbars and action buttons all use the main color scheme of black, white, or blue. We analyze the color hue, lightness, and saturation to choose accessible colors for users with visual deficiency. We also follow
the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) principles
to ensure our users can navigate across the interface without any color-related obstacles.
Less is more. So when you ask us how to get started as a fresh rookie in mind mapping, we are more than confident to show you that you are fully equipped. When you open a new canvas in Xmind, you are ready to go. No complex designs or settings would confuse you.
Pay Attention to the Neglected.
Polished Details
Printing out mind maps is an essential scenario, especially when you print in black and white. You would probably know that we have many fun and creative stickers and illustrations that are carefully crafted by our designers. But we found that this was not enough. As the printing quality varies, it could be difficult to identify the stickers and illustrations in mind maps. So what we did was add an extra border to
enhance the visual contrast and recognition
.
CJK font settings
are provided as well. This avoids the problem that some western fonts do not support CJK fonts and lead to missing characters.
The system texts are center-aligned, just like the closing credits at the end of the movie which makes it visually agreeable and easy to search for certain texts. The display resolution in Xmind adapts to your system scales. Whether you need your display to be default, smaller or larger space, it changes automatically with your system preference.
We always put our users in first place.
Many have seen the fine logic behind our design principles, the dedication we uphold, and the embracement of sharing knowledge, ideas, and innovations openly. This also attracts people to imitate. But we do not see this as a bad thing at all. By all accounts, the fact that we are being imitated is a testament to our exceptional design and user experience.
We also hope to connect and attract more like-minded people who are passionate about design. We look forward to walking side by side with you in the pursuit of excellence.
How to Use Xmind UI Design Kit?
Xmind UI Kit includes all our design components: templates, fonts, stickers, illustrations, and other elements. You can go to
to get all the above resources.
