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ASIT Premier (Start2Think) ASIT is unusual in
being an online creativity course rather than support software, introducing
the TRIZ-based ASIT methodology.
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Axon Idea
Processor (Axon) An environment for manipulating ideas in the forms of shapes. You
need to like to plunge into a piece of software and get your hands dirty, but the features
are powerful.
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ConceptDraw Mindmap
(Odessa Software)
- this isn't the easiest of the
mind map software packages to use when inputting a map, but it has the big
advantage of being [the only mind mapping software] available for both Mac
and Windows.
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The Creative Thinker
(Idon Thinking Resources) a clever method of arranging ideas in a
brainstorm, rather poorly implemented as software
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Decision Explorer
(Banxia) Produced by the University of Strathclyde,
Decision Explorer allows you to structure ideas by mapping them and linking them with
arrows. The thoughts can then be clustered together and analysed. There's less direct
structuring than with a mindmap, and you have to be happy with a command line interface to
get the most out of it. Worth pursuing if cognitive mapping interests you.
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Freemind
- free mind mapping software.
Not as powerful as the commercial products, but robust and a good way to get
started into mind mapping
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The Literary Machine a
powerful but complex piece of software for generating, collecting,
structuring and constructing ideas, documents and books.
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GyroQ a tiny program that collects ideas from
you and feeds them into MindManager mind mapping software. Works really
well, and would benefit any MindManager enthusiast.
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Logics
of the Frame (Seventh Dimension Thinking) a unique free piece of software
that explores in visual metaphors some of the different ways of thinking
about an idea.
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Mind Genius
(formerly Ygnius)
- a new piece of mind mapping software, more sophisticated than VisiMap,
but less complicated to use than Mind Manager. Shows a lot of promise.
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Mind
Manager (MindJet) an alternative to VisiMap for generating mind
maps. Less effective for hurling data in at high speed, but much better at
producing a graphically effective map. This makes it good for doing a mind
map for idea generation, for memory retention and for capturing a book or
similar source. The slickest and most professional of all the idea
structuring software.
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Mind
Pad (AKS-Labs) this is a box and link style
concept mapping tool that rather confusingly describes itself as producing
mind maps. It is very basic in user functionality - there are no wizard
facilities for setting up a map structure, for instance - but very flexible
in terms of defining your own objects. More a programmer's tool than
everyday humans.
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OneNote (Microsoft)
the simplest of the idea structuring packages - but this is more a positive
than a negative - and very good value. Uses a drawer/folder sheet metaphor.
You can type, draw or insert objects anywhere on a page and easily insert
information from the web or Outlook. Anything can be a checklist, and sound
for voice notes is handled very cleverly. Extremely slick.
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Personal Memory Manager (M2M) takes a rather
different approach to laying out ideas - essentially boxes and links, but
you can take as many different views on the same data as you like, and boxes
can incorporate pictures. The software is a little limited, but good value
and worth a look.
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Edward de Bono's Serious Creativity a
CD-ROM containing interactive training and creativity support tools based around de Bono's
theories and techniques.
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Spark-Space
(Spark-Space Limited) A very visual idea structuring package, but seems more
oriented to the educational market, can't rival mind mapping and is
surprisingly expensive.
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VisiMap
(CoCo Systems) A quick and easy way of structuring ideas by generating mind
maps. Good interaction with word processors etc. Good for getting information in quickly,
so excellent for structuring your ideas or using in a group session.
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Visual Concept
(Inspiration Resources) taking a very similar approach to
Idon's hexagons for recording and structuring ideas, Visual Concept is a
much easier to use product - well worth a look.
