If your software is a mess, maybe it's because your wetware is a mess.
Thinking Tools helps your team build and share the mental model of your problem domain, so your code stays coherent no matter who — or what — writes it.
Tools that help you capture, clarify and share domain knowledge, stored in plain text local files that you can read and edit in any application and manage like source code.
Visual concept mapping from plain text propositions. Write relationships in plain English; explore them as an interactive graph. Reader is free for anyone you share a map with; Pro ($50 once) adds the in-app editor with AI generation and document import.
Learn MoreIDEF0-based process diagrams from structured plain text. Model complex processes, data flows, and system interactions using a notation developed for precision.
Coming SoonMap arguments, evidence, and reasoning chains visually. Build and share structured arguments, identify logical dependencies, and find gaps in your reasoning.
Coming SoonYour data lives in plain Markdown files on your own disk. No accounts, no cloud sync required, no proprietary formats. Open them in any text editor, any time.
Concept maps and process diagrams are just text files — which means Git works perfectly. Track changes, branch, merge, and collaborate the same way you manage code.
Prefer VS Code? Vim? Obsidian? A plain text editor on your phone? The file format is intentionally simple so any tool can read and edit it without special support.
Plain text has been readable for 60 years and will be readable for 60 more. Your thinking is preserved in a format that doesn't depend on any company staying in business.
The Sun is the centre of Solar System
Solar System contains Kuiper Belt
Solar System contains Asteroid Belt
Solar System contains Inner Planet
Solar System contains Outer Planet
Asteroid Belt separates Inner Planet from Outer PlanetPlain text in → Interactive visual out
Start with Concepticon. Reader is free for anyone you share a map with — no purchase, no account. Pro ($50 once, perpetual) is for the people who make the maps.