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●
how to become
a better thinker
– by using
●
clever arrangements of
paper sheets,
●
index card boxes and
●
thinking tools

●
thinking
can be difficult
●
we lose track of our
thoughts
●
there may be too many
elements involved in a
problem
●
we get stuck
●
we go around in circles
●
we prematurely abandon
ideas that still have
potential

●
now imagine
a support system …
●
that helps us
keep track of our ideas
●
that provides
powerful thinking tools
●
that adapts with ease
to our personal thinking
habits
●
that co-evolves
with our thinking skills
- the two can become a
jumbo team
●
that costs just a fistful of
our favourite currency

●
what are
the basic ideas?
●
we think on paper
– by combining all forms of
writing and drawing we like
●
we organize the paper
sheets in a tree-ish
structure
●
we use an index card box
to keep the sheets
organized
●
we use thinking tools to
produce great ideas

●
what do we need?
●
an A5 index card box
●
A5 sheets for ring binders
●
writing materials
●
coloured register tabs
●
and optional:
sticky notes etc.

●
first:
how can we
think on paper?
●
basic idea:
develop thoughts on paper,
by writing an drawing
– ideas,
– questions,
– alternatives,
– diagrams,
– models,
– criticism
– … and more

●
what can we
combine on a sheet?
●
text notes
●
drawings and diagrams
●
mind maps
●
lists with checkboxes
●
sheet numbers
●
dates
●
… and more
●
some technical details
●
use the sheets in
landscape format
●
with punch holes at the
bottom

●
tip:
we can write in
two or three columns
●
we can switch between
columns
●
this brings several mind
maps advantages
- without their often messy
layout

●
second:
how can we organize the
sheets?
●
we can label the first tab
with number and topic
– example:
1.1
1.1.1
1.2
1.2.1
1.2.1.1
1: Sapere aude!
●
for the sheets, we can
use a tree numbering
– example:

●
we can arrange the sheets
on the desk as shown on
the right
– the sheets overlap
– and remain in their order
– the sheet with the highest
number lies on top
●
we can reference between
sheets via sheet numbers
●
the magic thing:
we can add sheets
wherever we need them
●
it‘s easy to examine
an idea
over several sheets
– asking more questions
– generating more ideas
– trying more different
approaches
1.1
1.1.1
1.2
1.2.1
1.2.1.1

●
third:
how can we use
the index box?
●
we can store the tabs and
sheets
– tip: put the tab behind the
sheets
– trip: put the highest sheet
number in front
●
when a sheet section
grows, we can add tabs for
better overview
●
we can take
sheet sections out
and start adding
more ideas
– re-examine earlier ideas
– after a week, a month ...

●
fourth:
how can we use thinking
tools?
– we can have groups of
tools
●
tools for asking questions
●
tools for producing ideas
●
tools for
dealing with obstacles
●
… and more

●
simple effective
questions
●
what‘s central?
●
what‘s interesting?
●
what doesn‘t fit?
●
what‘s missing?
●
… and more

●
tools for producing ideas
●
we can try to transfer
concepts from another area
to our topic
●
we can try to modify things
in our topic via the
SCAMPER acronym:
– Substitute
– Combine
– Adapt
– Maximize / Minimize
– Put to other uses
– Eliminate
– Rearrange / Reverse

●
tools when we are stuck
●
what‘s missing?
●
what‘s the gap between
a) what we have
and
b) what we want
●
We can examine opposites
and negatives of the things
we‘ve tried before

●
how can we
organize the tools?
●
we can start
a tool collection
●
tip:
we can place sticky notes
with one tool group each
on index cards
●
tip:
we can place this tool
collection on our desk
– the tools are ready for use
and adaptation all the time
●
we can prepare different
tool collections
– for interests in literature,
math, philosophy…
Tools 1
questions
- …
- ...
creativity
- …
- ...

●
let‘s look back:
we have constructed a
system …
●
that combines the powers
of making notes and using
thinking tools
●
that combines the powers
of verbal and visual
thinking
●
that allows us to think
coherently and with
focused attention
●
that can be improved at
any time – with new sheet
layouts, new sheet
sections, new tools ...
●
that we can grow with
- over weeks, months and
years

�ݺ�ߣ

Thinking on paper

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Thinking on paper