Thought Sorting: A Game for Organizing Thoughts
An interactive prototype exploring - how might we help people organize overwhelming thoughts without imposing rigid structures? A cognitive reframing game!
About the game…
Traditional note-taking apps force hierarchies. Mind-mapping tools are visually chaotic. I wanted to explore a playful, game-like approach to thought organization.
Using AI and interaction design, I built a prototype that turns thought-sorting into play:
→ Users input stream-of-consciousness focus area
→ AI suggests thoughts to sort in the focus area
→ Playful drag-and-drop interface for organizing
→ Revelation of patterns after organizing a thought
→ Option to "let go" of thoughts (digital release)
As a design teacher…
AI works best as a suggestion engine, not decision-maker
Play reduces anxiety around "getting it right"
Users need permission to be messy before organizing
The act of sorting can be therapeutic, not just functional
Made me wonder…
What if sorted thoughts could connect automatically? How might this work for teams (collective sense-making)? Could this help with decision-making, not just organizing?