Miro vs MURAL: Differences in Workshop and Ideation Processes

In today’s business world, creating ideas collaboratively and running effective workshops has made digital collaboration platforms indispensable. Two strong players in this field are Miro and MURAL. Both platforms offer online whiteboard solutions that make visual thinking, ideation, and collective decision-making easier for teams.

So, what are the differences between Miro and MURAL in workshop and ideation processes? And why does Omtera’s Miro expertise provide a critical advantage for teams in these processes? Let’s explore step by step.

What Are Workshop Processes?

A workshop is a method that brings teams together in short, intensive sessions with a specific purpose to produce a common output. Unlike traditional meetings, workshops are more interactive, visualized, and participant-focused.

Key steps of workshop processes:

• Defining the purpose: The goal of the workshop is clearly defined (e.g., developing a new product idea, analyzing the customer journey).
• Engaging participants: Different perspectives from various departments are included.
• Idea generation and discussion: Participants freely present, discuss, and refine ideas.
• Visualization and grouping: Generated ideas are organized and categorized using visual tools.
• Action plan: Workshop outputs are transformed into a concrete plan.

Why is it important?
Workshops increase creativity, team alignment, and rapid problem-solving skills in organizations. Therefore, they play a critical role, especially in product development, strategic planning, and innovation processes.

What Is the Ideation Process?

Ideation is a systematic stage used to generate creative solutions. It lies at the core of the Design Thinking approach.

Key steps of the ideation process:

• Problem definition: The issue or need to be solved is clarified.
• Free idea generation (brainstorming): Participants quickly and limitlessly propose ideas.
• Visualization: Ideas are organized using post-its, mind maps, or digital tools.
• Evaluation and selection: The best ideas are chosen through techniques like dot voting.
• Transition to prototyping: Selected ideas are turned into testable solutions in the next stage.

Why is it important?
Ideation enables teams not only to discuss problems but also to create new opportunities, develop innovative solutions, and ensure strategic differentiation.

Miro’s Core Strength

Miro is one of the most widely used online whiteboard platforms globally. It offers not only visual collaboration but also a strong infrastructure for strategic planning, project management, and product development.

Main advantages:

• Rich template library: Hundreds of ready-to-use templates for workshops, brainstorming, roadmaps, kanban, and more.
• Integrations: Strong connections with key tools like Google Workspace, Slack, Jira, and Microsoft Teams.
• Real-time collaboration: All team members can simultaneously work on the board, add notes, and use stickers.
• AI-powered features: Smart diagramming, mind map automation, content summarization, and more.

Thanks to these features, Miro allows teams to generate, visualize, and implement ideas faster during workshops and ideation processes.

Comparison with MURAL

MURAL is also a tool focused on workshop and ideation. It stands out especially in visual thinking and brainstorming processes. However, the flexibility and scalability Miro offers create significant advantages over MURAL.

Comparison Table: Miro vs MURAL

While MURAL can be useful for creative teams, Miro offers much more comprehensive solutions for both workshops and large-scale project processes.

Miro’s Advantage in Workshop Processes

The success of a workshop is measured not only by idea generation but also by organizing those ideas and turning them into actionable steps.

In workshops, Miro provides:

• Easy facilitation: Moderators can manage sessions with timers, voting, and spotlight features.
• Encouraging participation: Participants engage actively with stickers, emojis, and interactive tools.
• Easy documentation: Workshop outputs are automatically saved and can be easily turned into reports.

If you’d like to learn more about workshop design, check out our detailed guide: How to Design Design Thinking Workshops with Miro

Miro’s Advantage in Ideation Processes

The idea generation process is often scattered. This is where Miro comes in, making it easier to visualize, group, and prioritize ideas.

• Mind map tools: Visualize the connections between ideas.
• AI-powered summarization: Quickly categorize scattered ideas into meaningful groups.
• Dot voting: Select the best ideas as a team.

This way, teams not only generate ideas but also reach clear results turned into strategic steps.

To learn how Miro’s AI features accelerate idea generation, read our post: Accelerating Idea Generation with Miro’s AI Features

Omtera’s Contribution: Strategic Advantage in Workshop and Ideation Processes

Miro is a powerful platform that simplifies workshop and ideation processes. However, to unleash its full potential, correct configuration, method selection, and team alignment are required. This is where Omtera’s expertise makes a difference.

As a Miro Solutions Partner, Omtera provides:

• Workshop design and facilitation:
  Omtera designs custom workshop templates tailored to organizational needs. For instance, it adapts “Product Roadmap” templates for product development workshops and “SWOT Analysis” or “Business Model Canvas” for strategic planning sessions. This way, teams don’t just generate ideas but also arrive at concrete action plans.
• Structured methods in ideation:
  During the ideation stage, Omtera applies techniques like design thinking and dot voting on Miro, guiding teams to success. As a result, scattered ideas are categorized, prioritized, and turned into strategic opportunities.
• Efficiency through Miro integrations:
  Omtera ensures seamless transfer of ideation outputs into tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello. Thus, workshop-generated ideas instantly turn into tasks and never get lost.
• Team training:
  Omtera organizes special training programs for workshop facilitators and team leaders, enabling them to use Miro tools (timer, voting, AI clustering) effectively. This strengthens the internal facilitation capacity within organizations.
• Strategic consulting:
  Beyond technical support, Omtera answers the question: “Which workshop should be used for which problem?” For example, for a team aiming to improve customer experience, Omtera suggests a Customer Journey Mapping workshop, while for an innovation team, it recommends a Brainstorming + Mind Map ideation process.

In short, Omtera transforms workshop and ideation processes from simple online whiteboard sessions into strategic tools that deliver concrete results aligned with organizational goals.

Miro Should Be Your Choice for Workshop and Ideation

When choosing between Miro and MURAL, it’s clear that Miro offers a more comprehensive, flexible, and future-proof solution. Especially in workshop and ideation processes, the Miro + Omtera partnership elevates your teams not only in idea generation but also in implementing those ideas.

Ready to accelerate your workshop and ideation processes? Get in touch with Omtera and integrate Miro into your workflows in the most efficient way.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why is Miro better in workshop processes?
Miro provides a more flexible and productive environment in workshops thanks to facilitation tools, AI support, and integrations.

When can MURAL be preferred?
MURAL can be useful for small teams working on visual thinking processes. However, for large-scale teams, Miro is stronger.

What does Omtera’s Miro consulting provide?
Omtera delivers setup, integration, training, and strategic consulting to ensure teams get the maximum value from Miro.