Structural Overlays

Ideas are organized along multiple axes:

• TYPES - These are the type of material the reader encounters. Basically, this is where TONE is distinguished. There are only a handful. These are COLOR CODED. Only one Type can be assigned.

• LABELS - Labels are concept-based. These are broad categories describing the goal of the idea. There are only a handful. Being text based, they must be copied from the label list verbatim. Labels are a FILTERING device. They are not color coded to indicate type. Only one Label can be assigned.

• TAGS - Tags are concept-based. They are detailed categories, more like properties or aspects of each thought. These are very numerous and more should be created as we go along. Tags are for SORTING. These also are color coded to indicate type. Multiple Tags can be assigned.

TAGS ARE THE ENGINE FOR ORGANIZATION. They link ideas CONCEPTUALLY, NOT ORGANIZATIONALLY. During brainstorming, we link everything possible. Particularly child thoughts across larger topics. Later, we go back through the conceptual links and decide where to put the idea organizationally, and eliminate the other links except to its final resting place.