Brainstorming tools

Posted by satis
Dec 8, 2021 at 02:04 PM

Franz Grieser wrote:

> The only software tool that I know of is no longer availabe: It was
>called Ideafisher

I had that app around 1990. It came on several floppies and had a list price of $400 or $500. (I was sent an evaluation copy and was never asked for it back.) It mainly used memory prompts, analogy, metaphor, and free association to help users generate ideas by choosing a word, and Idea Fisher generated dozens or hundreds of associations and related concepts. They later added questionnaire templates to tease out more info to search for, which I found fairly useless. I’d go directly into the Idea Bank database and enter a word and the app would give category results.

It effectively was a form of thesaurus-slash- thematic dictionary, but it was not as useful as I’d hoped. Today I’d get more out of a thematic dictionary like Descriptionary, plus an online thesaurus, plus googling quotes on a subject and seeing what turned up in Pinterest (or Google Image search) - it would be more helpful though a search would take longer.

A 30+ year old LA Times article I archived describes one IdeaFisher search:

Start in the IdeaBank, the program’s database of associations.

Type in the words dog treat.

The program spits out a list of topic categories:

ability/skill/talent/training/practice/lessons

dogs/cats/family pets

foods/food groups

like/want/prefer

Select dogs/cats/family pets

The program produces a list of associations that help the user brainstorm and serve as a catalyst in the creation of a name:

best friend—myth +—Dalmatian in a fire truck

fire hydrant—mutt—gingham dog and calico cat

puppy love—show dog—shaggy-dog story

dog bone—bone—can’t teach an old dog new tricks

dog costume—top dog—Old Mother Hubbard

doggie bag—figurine—leader of the pack

show-ring—trophy—best of breed

circus dog—pedigree—pick of the litter

shake hands—scent—Run, Spot, Run

The user jots down possible name ideas in the program’s Idea Notepad.

gingham dog and calico cat: Gingham Dog

dog bone: Bone Appetit

puppy love: Puppy Loves

can’t teach an old dog new tricks: New Tricks

The list of ideas can then be tested and refined in the QBank, which generates questions such as “How would you expand the concept?”