Welcome to Branestorm, the Innovation Term Generator!
"Dollar-Store Disposable CEO" is my favorite so far from the terms that this handy little iPhone app has come up with. This is a web page version of the soon-to-be-released iPhone app, but fully functional on your iPhone. In standard desktop browsers it has varying levels of semi-functionality, best in Safari.
Branestorm will be useful to anyone who wants to think up new ideas, such as product managers, inventors, marketing and advertising folks and more.
Run it as a web page now (Same features as an app. On the iphone, use Bookmarks>Add to Home Screen)
About Branestorm
What It Does
It generates random combinations of words from lists of idea categories such as "Web 2.0," "Panaceas," "Conveniences" and various metaphors.
Who It's For
Anyone who wants or needs to think up new ideas, processes, innovations, inspirations, and so on.
How to Use It
Click the words in the center of the big round dial. Click almost anything else on the main window to discover features.
Features
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Lock a specific term or the category from which it came, to keep using that item.
- Enter up to 6 of your own terms that get used in the first (top) category.
- Turn on or off the categories that are used.
- Email the latest brainstorm or the the most recent 5 brainstorms.
- Use it offline, such as in Airplane Mode.
- Startup Explanation (only displayed on first use).
- Edit Page Explanation (only displayed on first use).
Let me know what features you'd like!
Background
There might not be a Farnsworth Television Company anymore (you do know he was the inventor of television, right?) but that doesn't mean there aren't any innovations coming out of Wyndmoor, PA USA anymore! This stupid little app churns out great ideas—and some pretty useless ones—faster than you can shake an iPhone. Just click the main display to generate random word combinations.
The idea behind Branestorm is well summarized by Linus Pauling, who said, "The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas." A great example is a business I recently heard of that sells baby products like diapers and sippy cups in vending machines. That's the simple premise of Branestorm... prompting you to think of new combinations of otherwise well-known ideas.
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Branestorm was built with jQTouch, an absolutely wonderful mobile development framework by David Kaneda. jQTouch is exactly the sort of solution that I've been hoping the software world would produce since I wrote my first book, Computers Stink. Thanks very much, David! We made a donation.
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The graphic for the main screen is from the druel-worthy portfolio website of Philip Glofcheskie and if he would ever return my emails I might get permission to use it. The remaining panels and slide switches were inspired from it, but mine. On your desktop (where you have Flash) check out his extraordinary BitKraft.com (see Work>.SWF>Kiosk) and this masterpiece of his that first drew me to his portfolio site.
Branestorm was created by Jack Bellis, a software designer with Elsevier (a scientific and medical publisher) who also creates all sorts of stuff at JackBellis.com.
Screens
Lock terms or categories while viewing them:
Enter your own terms, used in the first row:
Turn categories off:
Email your latest brainstorm (or the log of the last 5):
FAQ/Question History
<No questions yet>