Brainstorming tools
Started by Larry_in_Bangkok
on 12/8/2021
Larry_in_Bangkok
12/8/2021 9:21 am
Where to begin?
How to begin?
Where to go next?
And then what?
This post was inspired by steveylang’s comment (on a different thread):
>nothing beats the appeal of a freshly
>sharpened pencil and blank page for thinking through an idea.
What is the software equivalent of that pencil and blank page?
The software equivalent of a friend or colleague who asks, again and again, “What about ... ?”
Already plenty of outliners, note takers, mind mappers and DEVONthinkers for organizing ideas which already exist.
I searched AlternativeTo.net
A “first page search” brought up lots of impressive-sounding promises trying to sell the same old mind mapping software and team collaboration software.
But nothing at all in that quick search about software for generating new ideas.
For “teasing” ideas out of one’s brain.
For inspiring thinking in new directions.
I’ve done brainstorming often and watched it being done by others.
Sometimes works in surprising and valuable ways.
Sometimes minimal results.
But, overall, certainly worth time invested.
Software specifically for brainstorming new ideas would be a “force multiplier”.
Any?
MadaboutDana
12/8/2021 9:51 am
Brainstorming is a great activity, but as multiple studies have shown, brainstorming around a table – especially in corporate groups – is not always productive.
More productive, it appears, is brainstorming at remote, i.e. setting several people the same problem and asking them to come up with ideas BEFORE discussing the latter. This approach can (but doesn’t necessarily) remove inhibitions associated with status, “pleasing the boss”, non-confrontational vs. confrontational personalities, etc. etc.
We use brainstorming a lot in our creative writing/transcreation work, but always by gathering ideas first, then processing them as a team.
And no, I’ve not so far come across any tool that actively galvanises this process. Tools we use include whiteboarding and videoconferencing software, or simply sketches produced on any number of sketch-friendly apps (including Apple Notes!).
There are, however, idea-stimulating tools around. I’m struggling to remember any names, because frankly, whenever I’ve tested such a tool, the approach has seemed to me either (a) too constraining / over-structured or (b) too bullsh*t-ridden or (c) a mixture of both.
One of the best tips I can give is making sure the thing you’re brainstorming about is as clearly defined as possible. When people start blue-sky thinking, they tend to get quite excited and can rapidly zoom off at a tangent/all sorts of tangents. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it isn’t good, either.
So it’s really, really important (and I speak as someone who regularly deals with multilingual/multicultural teams in many different countries) to make sure the basic parameters of the “problem” are defined as clearly as possible.
I’ve tried writing my own briefsheets for this, with all kinds of definitions and fields. But once again, this isn’t something that’s easy to standardise. We now use a number of bullet points as the starting point for writing briefs, simply to remind us of things that MUST be mentioned – but these are very much general guides and not set in stone.
To paraphrase a finding from a totally different industry: while a car with AI-driven driver assistance systems may be safer to drive, a car without a human in it is positively dangerous… and there’s no likelihood that this will change anytime soon, due to the fundamental AI issue of “mapping”.
You could say the same of brainstorming. At the end of the day, the human brain is capable of lateral thinking that far exceeds AI capacities. Although AI can be very helpful in coming up with ideas that may not occur to a human at all.
More productive, it appears, is brainstorming at remote, i.e. setting several people the same problem and asking them to come up with ideas BEFORE discussing the latter. This approach can (but doesn’t necessarily) remove inhibitions associated with status, “pleasing the boss”, non-confrontational vs. confrontational personalities, etc. etc.
We use brainstorming a lot in our creative writing/transcreation work, but always by gathering ideas first, then processing them as a team.
And no, I’ve not so far come across any tool that actively galvanises this process. Tools we use include whiteboarding and videoconferencing software, or simply sketches produced on any number of sketch-friendly apps (including Apple Notes!).
There are, however, idea-stimulating tools around. I’m struggling to remember any names, because frankly, whenever I’ve tested such a tool, the approach has seemed to me either (a) too constraining / over-structured or (b) too bullsh*t-ridden or (c) a mixture of both.
One of the best tips I can give is making sure the thing you’re brainstorming about is as clearly defined as possible. When people start blue-sky thinking, they tend to get quite excited and can rapidly zoom off at a tangent/all sorts of tangents. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it isn’t good, either.
So it’s really, really important (and I speak as someone who regularly deals with multilingual/multicultural teams in many different countries) to make sure the basic parameters of the “problem” are defined as clearly as possible.
I’ve tried writing my own briefsheets for this, with all kinds of definitions and fields. But once again, this isn’t something that’s easy to standardise. We now use a number of bullet points as the starting point for writing briefs, simply to remind us of things that MUST be mentioned – but these are very much general guides and not set in stone.
To paraphrase a finding from a totally different industry: while a car with AI-driven driver assistance systems may be safer to drive, a car without a human in it is positively dangerous… and there’s no likelihood that this will change anytime soon, due to the fundamental AI issue of “mapping”.
You could say the same of brainstorming. At the end of the day, the human brain is capable of lateral thinking that far exceeds AI capacities. Although AI can be very helpful in coming up with ideas that may not occur to a human at all.
Larry_in_Bangkok
12/8/2021 10:30 am
MadaboutDana wrote:
...helpful in coming up with ideas that may not occur to a human at all.<
Thank you, Madabout for that post.
Good example of brainstorming in action!
Not looking for software to come up with ideas, but rather to come up with *questions*.
Humans are already an infinite source of ideas.
Oreo cookies wants to sell more cookies:
- What about increasing?
=> Oreo "Double Stuffed" cookies
Condom maker wants to sell more condoms:
- What about flavor?
=> Cherry flavor condoms
Henry Ford wants to sell more Model A cars:
- What about color?
=> Cars that used to come only in black, now come in colors.
Airline wants to increase profits.
- What about bigger?
=> First class seating, bigger seats at a higher price, for the same trip.
MadaboutDana
12/8/2021 11:39 am
Ah, the famous “first, you must ask the right question” conundrum (cf. “I, Robot” – the film, not the original Asimov book)
You could, of course, use brainstorming precisely to come up with the “right question”.
All the examples you mention show classic “thinking laterally/outside the box” solutions, no matter how humdrum they appear to us today.
The multi-billion-dollar marketing industry is predicated on asking the right questions – and suggesting that So-and-So Inc. has the right answers.
Other people (notably online influencers) appear to have a knack for spotting interesting questions swirling in the fractal chaos of human relations.
You might find it instructive to read/listen to this interview with a highly successful TikTok influencer. Or not. I found it both interesting and amusing: https://www.theverge.com/22807858/tiktok-influencer-microsoft-excel-instagram-decoder-podcast
You could, of course, use brainstorming precisely to come up with the “right question”.
All the examples you mention show classic “thinking laterally/outside the box” solutions, no matter how humdrum they appear to us today.
The multi-billion-dollar marketing industry is predicated on asking the right questions – and suggesting that So-and-So Inc. has the right answers.
Other people (notably online influencers) appear to have a knack for spotting interesting questions swirling in the fractal chaos of human relations.
You might find it instructive to read/listen to this interview with a highly successful TikTok influencer. Or not. I found it both interesting and amusing: https://www.theverge.com/22807858/tiktok-influencer-microsoft-excel-instagram-decoder-podcast
Franz Grieser
12/8/2021 12:08 pm
The only software tool that I know of is no longer availabe: It was called Ideafisher, developed by Marsh Fisher who also wrote an interesting book on idea creation. A few years ago, a company called Thoughtoffice took over, renamed the software - and seems to have abandoned it. Their website is no longer online, though that may simply be a configuration error. Nevertheless, they have failed to answer an email that I sent a few months ago.
Lb
12/8/2021 12:39 pm
Funny enough there's an Amazon page for it. I like the contents list - Book and Floppy Disks.
https://www.amazon.com/Ideafisher/dp/B000A09OPW
https://www.amazon.com/Ideafisher/dp/B000A09OPW
MadaboutDana
12/8/2021 12:44 pm
That’s one of the ones I tried: IdeaFisher! I did try it out, but really… the human mind just doesn’t work like that. Trying to generate ideas by ticking boxes? The results are, predictably, uninspiring.
Lb wrote:
Lb wrote:
Funny enough there's an Amazon page for it. I like the contents list -
Book and Floppy Disks.
https://www.amazon.com/Ideafisher/dp/B000A09OPW
Franz Grieser
12/8/2021 1:25 pm
MadaboutDana wrote:
Ticking boxes? Sounds uninspiring, indeed.
In the Ideafisher I trialled years ago, you had to answer questions by typing. Better than ticking boxes :-)
That’s one of the ones I tried: IdeaFisher! I did try it out, but
really… the human mind just doesn’t work like that. Trying
to generate ideas by ticking boxes? The results are, predictably,
uninspiring.
Ticking boxes? Sounds uninspiring, indeed.
In the Ideafisher I trialled years ago, you had to answer questions by typing. Better than ticking boxes :-)
Stephen Zeoli
12/8/2021 1:35 pm
I don't think I quite understand the question, because it seems to me any outliner should help brainstorm like a pen to paper, with some limitations, but also with some advantages.
I am reminded of the app Brainstorm, which is still available:
https://www.brainstormsw.com/
It is intended as a frictionless way to do a brain dump on a subject, then reogranize the thoughts quickly and easily. I never found it quite that easy (having to remember keyboard shortcuts is always a stumbling block for me).
Another method that works for me is writing about the subject, and turning it into a conversation with myself. But usually the best ideas come from interaction with others, and there are a ton of software platforms that allegedly facilitate collaboration.
Anyway, as I said, perhaps I didn't really understand the question.
Steve
I am reminded of the app Brainstorm, which is still available:
https://www.brainstormsw.com/
It is intended as a frictionless way to do a brain dump on a subject, then reogranize the thoughts quickly and easily. I never found it quite that easy (having to remember keyboard shortcuts is always a stumbling block for me).
Another method that works for me is writing about the subject, and turning it into a conversation with myself. But usually the best ideas come from interaction with others, and there are a ton of software platforms that allegedly facilitate collaboration.
Anyway, as I said, perhaps I didn't really understand the question.
Steve
satis
12/8/2021 2:04 pm
Franz Grieser wrote:
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?”
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?”
Larry_in_Bangkok
12/8/2021 2:36 pm
Stephen Zeoli wrote:
... any outliner should help brainstorm like a pen to paper. I am reminded of the app Brainstorm,
Thank you, Stephen Zeoli for your post.
A little confusion is usually a productive way to advance understanding on any topic.
I could have / should have made it more clear:
pencil and paper, outliner, mind-mapper, note-taker -- it doesn’t matter at all what “recording method” is used.
What matters is having a friend or colleague standing next to you, asking questions which suggest new vectors to the topic.
Not a “brain dump” of what one already knows, not word association either, but a “helper” to nudge thinking in new directions or into new dimensions.
...works for me is writing about the subject, and turning it into a conversation
Perfect.
You have created an imaginary brainstorming partner.
Probably you refine and enhance that “partner” in your mind, as your conversation moves along.
That seems to be brainstorming at its best.
Now, what if we had software to do that?
A sort of software like that already exists, and I use it often (several times a week) and have been using for about 10 years.
But it is very rough and crude and limited in scope to only one application: on-line shopping.
Generalized, it is not.
A program that could be used on a wide range of problems or questions would be valuable.
A good example of software that leans in that direction is HyperPlan, created by Andy Brice (a veteran poster here).
His brilliant concept of "connections" shows ideas in active ways.
But the user must supply those connections.
Now if something like that were possible "outside the box" of existing entries, what a program that would be!
Alas, I’m learning from this topic so far that general brainstorming software probably does not exist yet.
Dr Andus
12/8/2021 5:03 pm
Stephen Zeoli wrote:
I'm with Steve on this one.
The main limitation I've found with using software for brainstorming was the speed of data entry or making connections (for this reason pen and paper tends to be king).
I like to use WorkFlowy though for brainstorming (if it's about coming up with ideas and needing to structure them), as I find it very fast and easy to structure and move things around with keyboard shortcuts. Plus now it's easy to drop screenshots and images into it and mark text up with colour and tag (categorise) things.
But the Brainstorm software Steve mentioned had some other tricks up its sleeve (though I could never get into it myself either for some reason).
If I need to come up with a concept map or flowchart, I'd first use pen and paper, but if speed is not an issue (if it's more of a slower, analytical process of figuring out and modelling a process or a structure), I would use Plectica directly.
Actually mind mapping software can also work well for brainstorming. Used to use Freeplane for this, though haven't touched it for a few years, so don't know how good or fast it still is.
any outliner should help brainstorm like a pen to paper
I'm with Steve on this one.
The main limitation I've found with using software for brainstorming was the speed of data entry or making connections (for this reason pen and paper tends to be king).
I like to use WorkFlowy though for brainstorming (if it's about coming up with ideas and needing to structure them), as I find it very fast and easy to structure and move things around with keyboard shortcuts. Plus now it's easy to drop screenshots and images into it and mark text up with colour and tag (categorise) things.
But the Brainstorm software Steve mentioned had some other tricks up its sleeve (though I could never get into it myself either for some reason).
If I need to come up with a concept map or flowchart, I'd first use pen and paper, but if speed is not an issue (if it's more of a slower, analytical process of figuring out and modelling a process or a structure), I would use Plectica directly.
Actually mind mapping software can also work well for brainstorming. Used to use Freeplane for this, though haven't touched it for a few years, so don't know how good or fast it still is.
Franz Grieser
12/8/2021 5:36 pm
For brainstorming, collecting and sorting ideas I use
- either the outline feature in Word or Textmaker (Word is better for moving items around)
- a visual tool such as Milanote or Miro so I can share the map with colleagues or customers. I used to use Scapple but it's single-user, and the Windows version appears to be buggy (maps I create on one Windows system look different on a second machine).
What never really clicked with me are mindmaps.
- either the outline feature in Word or Textmaker (Word is better for moving items around)
- a visual tool such as Milanote or Miro so I can share the map with colleagues or customers. I used to use Scapple but it's single-user, and the Windows version appears to be buggy (maps I create on one Windows system look different on a second machine).
What never really clicked with me are mindmaps.
Lucas
12/8/2021 10:14 pm
Brainstorming can of course mean different things to different people, and different software approaches also work for different people.
I have not explored the area of software that directly ask questions or stimulates new ideas, but I have spent a lot of time exploring software to write down and structure the ideas in my head. My current favorite for that task is Flying Logic.
https://flyinglogic.com/
What sets Flying Logic apart for brainstorming is the automatic visual reshuffling. I set the Layout direction to "inner to outer" and then I start writing down and connecting ideas. With every new idea, the whole map magically rearranges itself. And it lends itself to free concept-mapping (not limited to top-down mind-mapping). And you can export to OPML.
It's not frictionless, has a bit of a learning curve, and it could be further improved, but for me it is the most pleasant format to bring clarity to ideas that are bouncing around in my mind.
(A bit expensive but worth it.)
In the same vein, CMapTools is also great and has some unique features, but I find it less pleasant.
I have not explored the area of software that directly ask questions or stimulates new ideas, but I have spent a lot of time exploring software to write down and structure the ideas in my head. My current favorite for that task is Flying Logic.
https://flyinglogic.com/
What sets Flying Logic apart for brainstorming is the automatic visual reshuffling. I set the Layout direction to "inner to outer" and then I start writing down and connecting ideas. With every new idea, the whole map magically rearranges itself. And it lends itself to free concept-mapping (not limited to top-down mind-mapping). And you can export to OPML.
It's not frictionless, has a bit of a learning curve, and it could be further improved, but for me it is the most pleasant format to bring clarity to ideas that are bouncing around in my mind.
(A bit expensive but worth it.)
In the same vein, CMapTools is also great and has some unique features, but I find it less pleasant.
Dr Andus
12/11/2021 11:38 am
Lucas wrote:
Do they ever offer any discounts around Christmas time?
My current favorite
for that task is Flying Logic.
https://flyinglogic.com/
(A bit expensive but worth it.)
Do they ever offer any discounts around Christmas time?
Lucas
12/11/2021 2:18 pm
Dr Andus wrote:
Do they ever offer any discounts around Christmas time?
I don't know. Their main market seems to be the business world (the software is primarily for working with the Theory of Constraints). But in my experience, the developer, Wolf McNally is happy to answer questions. You could contact support@flyinglogic.com or go to the Discord channel via chat.flyinglogic.com
steveylang
12/15/2021 6:22 am
Larry_in_Bangkok wrote:
I'm glad you brought up my post! I think pencil and paper (or whiteboard and markers in a group setting) work so well for 2 different reasons.
The first is that they require absolutely zero thought or attention to use, such that your focus can almost always be 100% on your ideas (whether its brainstorming, gathering thoughts, developing ideas, etc.) Imagine if occasionally your paper notepad 'crashed' and all your work disappeared, or if you had to hold your pencil in a specific way for it to write? Or if none of the marker pen labels matched the actual colors of the ink, so you had to stop and figure out every time you wanted to write in a specific color on the whiteboard?
There's of course a lot of great user-friendly software in the world today, but for me the directness of physical tools is still often a tangible benefit. I think around 20 years ago we started seeing electronic whiteboards that allowed you to make printouts or perhaps digital files of your whiteboard work. They sounded great, but invariably seemed to introduce little hiccups in the whiteboarding process (maybe it took some time to power up, or you had to find the special markers for it or whatever), and I think for that reason I don't see them around any more. The advantages didn't outweigh the disadvantages, even though we didn't even have smartphones with cameras to quickly record our work.
Stephen Zeoli wrote:
The second reason has to do with the advantage of working with information in a spatial orientation. Generally our brains are oriented towards this, and for me jotting down ideas in a sort of map/diagram just feels much better than doing it in a outline or list. It's not just for brainstorming, any time I'm trying to get a 'sense' of things I like arranging my thoughts/ideas in a 2-dimensional space (of course YMMV.)
There's many computer applications that can also do this, and they all offer many more features than pencil and paper. But if they're not really, really easy to use, they're not for me. I gravitate towards this type of spatial thinking in mainly the formative stages of a task, after that it's on to Word, Powerpoint, or a outliner/PIM application for refinement, output, or archiving. Or maybe it's later on but for a very specific task or issue, so it still doesn't involve having to transfer a ton of work from analog to digital.
In the last few days I have been enjoying trying out the iPadOS application, Muse which I learned about from jsamlarose here:
https://www.outlinersoftware.com/messages/viewm/40879
You can read about some of their design goals and process here:
https://www.inkandswitch.com/muse/#unification-with-the-users-corpus
https://museapp.com/memos/
I guess it's probably not for everyone, but the ideas and thoughtfulness that have gone into the app are really interesting to me and can be seen in the app. A minimum of interface 'chrome', and non-modal interface (meaning not having to switch pen 'modes' via a button toolbar, etc.) are 2 of their major design goals and I think those help deliver some of that 'directness' that I feel using pen and paper. I have been finding myself wanting to open the app and just start working on anything...we'll see if that feeling continues.
In the past I've always sought to find that one app that would handle all aspects of information management, from creation to development to organization to archival. But I realize that's not necessary nor desirable for me. After Muse/Scapple/pencil and paper, it's then on to Notion for me as far as information management goes.
(I am also CRIMPing around with Obsidian right now, but that's a different story.)
Where to begin?
How to begin?
Where to go next?
And then what?
This post was inspired by steveylang’s comment (on a different
thread):
>nothing beats the appeal of a freshly
>sharpened pencil and blank page for thinking through an idea.
What is the software equivalent of that pencil and blank page?
The software equivalent of a friend or colleague who asks, again and
again, “What about ... ?”
I'm glad you brought up my post! I think pencil and paper (or whiteboard and markers in a group setting) work so well for 2 different reasons.
The first is that they require absolutely zero thought or attention to use, such that your focus can almost always be 100% on your ideas (whether its brainstorming, gathering thoughts, developing ideas, etc.) Imagine if occasionally your paper notepad 'crashed' and all your work disappeared, or if you had to hold your pencil in a specific way for it to write? Or if none of the marker pen labels matched the actual colors of the ink, so you had to stop and figure out every time you wanted to write in a specific color on the whiteboard?
There's of course a lot of great user-friendly software in the world today, but for me the directness of physical tools is still often a tangible benefit. I think around 20 years ago we started seeing electronic whiteboards that allowed you to make printouts or perhaps digital files of your whiteboard work. They sounded great, but invariably seemed to introduce little hiccups in the whiteboarding process (maybe it took some time to power up, or you had to find the special markers for it or whatever), and I think for that reason I don't see them around any more. The advantages didn't outweigh the disadvantages, even though we didn't even have smartphones with cameras to quickly record our work.
Stephen Zeoli wrote:
I don't think I quite understand the question, because it seems to me
any outliner should help brainstorm like a pen to paper, with some
limitations, but also with some advantages.
The second reason has to do with the advantage of working with information in a spatial orientation. Generally our brains are oriented towards this, and for me jotting down ideas in a sort of map/diagram just feels much better than doing it in a outline or list. It's not just for brainstorming, any time I'm trying to get a 'sense' of things I like arranging my thoughts/ideas in a 2-dimensional space (of course YMMV.)
There's many computer applications that can also do this, and they all offer many more features than pencil and paper. But if they're not really, really easy to use, they're not for me. I gravitate towards this type of spatial thinking in mainly the formative stages of a task, after that it's on to Word, Powerpoint, or a outliner/PIM application for refinement, output, or archiving. Or maybe it's later on but for a very specific task or issue, so it still doesn't involve having to transfer a ton of work from analog to digital.
In the last few days I have been enjoying trying out the iPadOS application, Muse which I learned about from jsamlarose here:
https://www.outlinersoftware.com/messages/viewm/40879
You can read about some of their design goals and process here:
https://www.inkandswitch.com/muse/#unification-with-the-users-corpus
https://museapp.com/memos/
I guess it's probably not for everyone, but the ideas and thoughtfulness that have gone into the app are really interesting to me and can be seen in the app. A minimum of interface 'chrome', and non-modal interface (meaning not having to switch pen 'modes' via a button toolbar, etc.) are 2 of their major design goals and I think those help deliver some of that 'directness' that I feel using pen and paper. I have been finding myself wanting to open the app and just start working on anything...we'll see if that feeling continues.
In the past I've always sought to find that one app that would handle all aspects of information management, from creation to development to organization to archival. But I realize that's not necessary nor desirable for me. After Muse/Scapple/pencil and paper, it's then on to Notion for me as far as information management goes.
(I am also CRIMPing around with Obsidian right now, but that's a different story.)
Amontillado
12/15/2021 5:17 pm
I have Flying Logic. It has never been a tool I constantly use, but I probably should use it more.
The Theory of Constraints, to my shallow understanding, is a way of mapping things like preconditions and actions.
For instance, there were social tensions and economic trouble before WW1. An outfit called Young Bosnia cropped up. Austria dissolved the Bosnian Parliament. There was cheerleading from the Serbian Black Hand society. Finally, a teenager in the Young Bosnia movement killed Franz Ferdinand.
In Flying Logic, you wouldn't outline the sequence of events. Instead, you would diagram the conditions, actions, desired outcomes, and undesired outcomes that finally produced WW1.
Interestingly, many of the examples posted by Flying Logic users suggest the intent of the program is not universally understood.
For instance, it's not uncommon to see a diagram posted with "and" connectors with a single input and a single output. A -> and -> B, instead of A and B both leading to an "and" bubble, which in turn proceeds to something else.
You could do the same thing with Scapple. Flying Logic is a better tool because it strongly encourages keeping your eye on the lay of the land rather than storyboarding. Plus, you can add and remove things without worrying about layout.
I think it's an interesting and powerful concept. Admittedly more than many would like to spend, but pretty cool. For either Theory of Constraints project management or the study of forces in history, for example, it's probably at the top of the heap.
The Theory of Constraints, to my shallow understanding, is a way of mapping things like preconditions and actions.
For instance, there were social tensions and economic trouble before WW1. An outfit called Young Bosnia cropped up. Austria dissolved the Bosnian Parliament. There was cheerleading from the Serbian Black Hand society. Finally, a teenager in the Young Bosnia movement killed Franz Ferdinand.
In Flying Logic, you wouldn't outline the sequence of events. Instead, you would diagram the conditions, actions, desired outcomes, and undesired outcomes that finally produced WW1.
Interestingly, many of the examples posted by Flying Logic users suggest the intent of the program is not universally understood.
For instance, it's not uncommon to see a diagram posted with "and" connectors with a single input and a single output. A -> and -> B, instead of A and B both leading to an "and" bubble, which in turn proceeds to something else.
You could do the same thing with Scapple. Flying Logic is a better tool because it strongly encourages keeping your eye on the lay of the land rather than storyboarding. Plus, you can add and remove things without worrying about layout.
I think it's an interesting and powerful concept. Admittedly more than many would like to spend, but pretty cool. For either Theory of Constraints project management or the study of forces in history, for example, it's probably at the top of the heap.
Alexander Deliyannis
12/20/2021 10:27 pm
It is clear that you (and myself too) are not alone in preferring pen and paper for ideas work, as evidenced by this post on the reMarkable blog:
https://blog.remarkable.com/the-superiority-of-pen-and-paper-72dd16981b32
That said, I find software very helpful for structuring and presenting ideas. It should also be noted that several software programmes include (or are built around) methods which may help one at various stages of idea development.
Some users in this forum will still remember Neil Larson's Maxthink. This included, as a sample file, 55 questions to support "superior thinking", including ideas development. I've found these questions extremely helpful on various occasions.
steveylang wrote:
https://blog.remarkable.com/the-superiority-of-pen-and-paper-72dd16981b32
That said, I find software very helpful for structuring and presenting ideas. It should also be noted that several software programmes include (or are built around) methods which may help one at various stages of idea development.
Some users in this forum will still remember Neil Larson's Maxthink. This included, as a sample file, 55 questions to support "superior thinking", including ideas development. I've found these questions extremely helpful on various occasions.
steveylang wrote:
> >nothing beats the appeal of a freshly
> >sharpened pencil and blank page for thinking through an idea.
>
I'm glad you brought up my post! I think pencil and paper (or whiteboard
and markers in a group setting) work so well for 2 different reasons.
The first is that they require absolutely zero thought or attention to
use, such that your focus can almost always be 100% on your ideas
(whether its brainstorming, gathering thoughts, developing ideas, etc.)
[...]
The second reason has to do with the advantage of working with
information in a spatial orientation. Generally our brains are oriented
towards this, and for me jotting down ideas in a sort of map/diagram
just feels much better than doing it in a outline or list. It's not just
for brainstorming, any time I'm trying to get a 'sense' of things I like
arranging my thoughts/ideas in a 2-dimensional space (of course YMMV.)