(5.4.5) Digital tool for the KJ method

I have made a program to do "write all out" method electronically and then do the KJ method on a browser in 2013.

At that time, the monitor was too small, and we do not have enough space to put a hundred pieces and make groups. I felt it is inferior to a paper. I also felt it was a problem that we cannot draw figures quickly.

In 2018 writing this book, the pen input device, such as an Apple Pencil, has improved a lot. Also, we can buy 70 cm x 40 cm of monitors as products for office use now. In this screen size, I can paste 140 pieces, horizontally 14 pieces and vertically 10 pieces. If the screen size gets about twice as large, it becomes enough spate to do the KJ method on the screen.

Tablets such as the iPad offer intuitive scaling by pinch operations. This feature may ease the lack of space. Even if it is not, in the not far future, monitors become twice as large and accept pen input and pinch operations. I am looking forward to it.

The program I created in 2013 was co-editable. However, from my experience, co-editing seems to be unuseful. It is because the process of organizing ideas is subjective. The feature of co-editing harms the subjectivity of the individual.

In addition, the spatial arrangement of pieces contains unverbalized information. When people see what another person arranges, they can not understand the intention of the spatial arrangement. They can break it carelessly. If you want to co-edit the arrangement, you need to keep close communication, such as editing while viewing it together.