Sharpen Your Creative Edge - Generate An Idea a Minute With Thoughtoffice Brainstorming Software

March 30, 2009 - PRLog -- Portland, OR -- The human mind is an astonishingly creative machine, but tends to lose its freshness and "fades" when engaged for prolonged periods of time in highly creative, detailed or monotonous tasks. Solutions to this problem have included hot coffee, a cold shower, or a late night drive. Now, brainstorming software developed by ThoughtOffice Corporation can jump start the creative process with a single word, image, or phrase. Studies have shown that when users work interactively with the software, they build on their existing knowledge and experience, while stimulating new ideas along the way. An idea that may once have taken weeks to develop is now generated in seconds or minutes... with many more related ideas created as an incidental benefit.

"We were only expecting to see incremental improvements in the thinking process... maybe a 15% gain in creative output with ThoughtOffice (the creative engine in the ThoughtOffice software suite)," says David Lockman, ThoughtOffice's Product Specialist. "But we hadn't anticipated the results we saw - improvements of 600% or more in individual case studies. We're very excited by the outcome and are continuing to work on perfecting the process. Currently, our test participants are averaging 61 ideas per hour."

The program that is the subject of these studies is the ThoughtOffice Creativity Suite ( http://www.thoughtoffice.com/?page_id=5 ), software for Windows and Macintosh that taps unique online databases which total over 8.5 million words and phrases and more than 3,000,000 keyword-tagged images, to help trigger new ideas or fresh solutions to a problem. Based on the Associative Thinking Process pioneered by the legendary IdeaFisher brainstorming software, ThoughtOffice begins from a user-provided starting point (perhaps a word or phrase) then allows the user to search multiple linguistic databases, from the most common Internet searches to Synonyms, Word Associations, and Hypernyms. Images add a whole new dimension to the program, providing visual clues leading to those prized revelatory moments that often escape a less thorough brainstorming process.

As a copywriter, when Samantha Hall of Sow Your Destiny sits down to develop content for her corporate blogging, she often runs across many bland or unexciting phrases. "I can't stand to blog badly... using time-worn phrases and tired cliches," says Ms. Hall. "So I 'tap' ThoughtOffice with a word like Hope, and end up with a dozen phrases that will support my point. So Hope >> Survival >> Evolution >> Darwinian Theory >> Galapagos Island >> Genetic Drift. So I can ask my readers if they 'get my genetic drift' and know that at least I've added to their vocabulary... or maybe kept them reading. Either way I win... as does my client. After 12 hour days on the blogging circuit, I RELY on ThoughtOffice to keep me hot between the ears."

ThoughtOffice ( http://www.thoughtoffice.com/?page_id=35 ) is a single integrated program with three interfaces: a creativity search engine (the IdeaBrowser), instant access to guidance from experts (the Topics Browser), and a journal that organizes and collects your ideas and idea fragments (the Session Window). Combined, these three components allow users to create an "Idea Storyboard", very much like a combination of Outlining and MindMapping. Priced from $97 to $497 depending on configuration, the program runs on Mac OS X (including Leopard) and Windows 2000, XP & Vista.

Also available are plugin eXpertTopic Modules ( http://www.thoughtoffice.com/?page_id=4 ) that enhance the core program by providing stimulating ideas, questions, images and links in 16 areas, such as creative writing, advertising and marketing, and business planning. The Modules sell for $29-$69 each and are crafted by bestselling authors, MBAs, CEOs, and other experts in their fields.

About ThoughtOffice:
ThoughtOffice Corporation is a technology and software development headquartered in Washington state. Founded in 2004, the company provides solutions for individuals and corporations seeking to generate creative ideas & innovations quickly and efficiently. ThoughtOffice products are used by Homeland Security, NASA, most of the Global 5000, Inc. 500 firms, hundreds of advertising agencies, and consulting organizations. The company can be reached by e-mail at info@thoughtoffice.com, by telephone at 360-450-6888, or online at http://www.thoughtoffice.com.


Contact:
Mark Alan Effinger
ThoughtOffice Corporation
9734 Lincoln Lane
Blaine, WA 98230
360-450-6888
info@thoughtoffice.com
http://www.thoughtoffice.com