jThinker

Big ideas may be born out of the blue, but seeing them in action can be a painful, lengthy process. Every successful operation is based on a well-established plan, or set of ideas, because visualization makes it all easier to interpret and manage. In this regard, jThinker comes with the means to help you put your thoughts, and project steps in order.

You’re free to run the application from the moment download is done, but before doing so, it’s best to check whether Java Runtime Environment is installed on your computer to ensure proper functionality. On the other hand, the application can be stored on a USB flash drive, and used on other computers as well, making it possible to carry your ideas with you.

The interface may not be much to look at, but aesthetics are of little importance. What’s more, the simplicity in design makes it possible to accommodate in a jiffy. However, it could have used at least a few color management options, not to mention possibility to add a background picture.

All project types are held in different tabs, but in order to access a different one, you need to either start a new diagram, or load an existing one. There are several types of projects you can work on, such as current reality tree, conflict resolution, future reality tree, prerequisite tree, transform tree, as well as free-form diagram.

Unfortunately, there’s not really a major difference between these types of projects, other than the name to suggest the problem you’re trying to solve. Elements you get to work with are limited to statements, tasks, ellipse, and obstacles, each with custom text and possibility to be linked to other objects.

These can be stored in custom groups, and some types of projects even let you use a side panel for easy object tracking. What saves practicality is the simple option to prevent objects from overlapping, adding collision between them, and being pushed as you try to arrange them on the workspace.

Taking everything into consideration, we can say that jThinker comes with good intentions, but slightly underprepared for what it wants to achieve. The simplicity in design lets you quickly accommodate, with multiple types of tasks for different needs. However, object diversity is poor, and customization is limited to a few corresponding colors.