# Scrintal–building a playground for the mind

> We don’t need another piece of software. Certainly not another link in our already long chain of tools.

- Address: https://scrintal.com/blog/scrintal-building-a-playground-for-the-mind
- Blog post by Ece Kural, published by Scrintal
- Published: 2024-06-06
- Topics: Product, Knowledge Management, Startup, Visual Thinking, Tools for Thought

We don’t need another piece of software.\
Certainly not another link in our already long chain of tools.\
Software, initially aimed at empowering us, lost its value in never-ending productivity stacks.\
We use many more tools only to actually *utilize* them less. Crowding our routines, packing our minds, but never really unlocking our creativity.

Scrintal exists to end this.

We don’t design features; we design for user needs.\
Our definition of progress is having fun while thinking.\
In an environment that allows for building insights while playing with ideas.\
We envision a world where play and easy-to-use tools amplify creativity.\
A world with less anxiety, a world of purpose.

Scrintal. A playground for the mind.

[Watch the video on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggPp-rkZ-ig)

At Scrintal, a singular passion drives us: to create the best product for shaping ideas. Our new video gives a glimpse into this vision. It highlights our commitment to revolutionizing how you organize and bring your thoughts to life.

As we prepare to introduce Scrintal’s exciting transformation this autumn, let’s explore our reasoning and what’s to come more deeply.

## Thinking requires chaos and then order–introducing the problem.

For many of us, the million-dollar question is how to be more productive. But before that, we must answer another question: how do I think?

In a creative process, be it crafting an article or preparing a presentation, we seamlessly transition between free-form thinking and structuring our ideas numerous times. We may start the creative process with some wild brainstorming, where we group and shape ideas to identify the best ones. From there, we develop, refine, and sometimes discard these ideas as we dive into more detailed work.

This process isn’t linear. Many times, we go back to where we started.

![](https://scrintal.com/__l5e/assets-v1/994d32e9-76c7-4252-b1a8-0e6c56d476b4/scrintal-building-a-playground-for-the-mind-1.webp)

We can best manage non-linear processes by keeping connections between each step and tracking where our ideas come from. Throughout such complex processes, what matters most is seeing the big picture. Does the whole make sense? Did anything fall through the cracks? Could there be a better version? If we have a good process for tracking our ideas and seeing the big picture, we can elevate the anxiety all these questions build up.

The challenge arises when traditional tools and methods fail to adequately support the creative process’s non-linear nature. Conventional linear tools often struggle to maintain the fluid connections between different thinking stages. Our creative efforts then become disjointed, inefficient, and ultimately less valuable without tools that feel like second nature.

## We think spatially.

How can the process of shaping our ideas be made more enjoyable?

We in the [Scrintal](https://scrintal.com/) team, believe the answer lies in returning to our roots.

We naturally think in spatial terms. For instance, we might not remember the exact content of a piece of news, but we remember where in the newspaper we saw it. This spatial memory helps us remember and connect ideas more intuitively.

![Check out our new video here](https://scrintal.com/__l5e/assets-v1/dff47dfa-5b4f-4e74-9751-4d07c092733c/scrintal-building-a-playground-for-the-mind-2.webp)

*Check out our new video [here](https://youtu.be/ggPp-rkZ-ig)*

Visualizing our thoughts in alignment with our natural thinking patterns makes the creative process flow and become enjoyable.

The joy comes from creating a workspace that mirrors how our minds work. Such an environment allows us to see connections and stay on track. We often want to take the ideas out of our heads and see them laid out in front of us. Visual interfaces allow us to see everything at a glance and stay in the flow while freely shaping our ideas.

We must embrace our minds’ visual-first approach to transform the cumbersome knowledge work into an enjoyable experience.

## Scrintal’s Purpose

Our purpose is simple: to make thinking and shaping ideas enjoyable for everyone.

All human progress starts with an idea. That’s why the Scrintal team is passionate about unlocking our minds’ true potential. Only then can humanity move forward.

At [Scrintal](https://scrintal.com/), we’re not just adding features for the sake of it; everything we do has a purpose. We carefully choose what goes into our product.

> We’re not building features for power users. We create powerful features for everyone.

We believe in the importance of simplicity and effectiveness, so we ensure that our tool is intuitive for all users, regardless of their level of expertise.

We focus on making our solutions easy to use yet powerful for all users. Our goal is to empower as many people as possible with our tool, so we prioritize creating features that are both useful and accessible.

## A Playground for the Mind.

At Scrintal, we understand that thinking is a process that often starts with chaos and then seeks order. That’s why we’re reviving the essence of play for our autumn launch to inspire creativity and learning.

Play is enjoyable and a fundamental part of how we grow and understand the world around us. When we play, we relax, be creative, and set the stage for developing strong problem-solving skills.

Imagine a child exploring a playground, trying different swings, slides, and climbing frames. Each new experience sparks curiosity and encourages experimentation. Similarly, when we approach tasks with a playful mindset, we’re more willing to explore different avenues and try out new ideas without fear of failure. The play setting gives us the freedom to experiment.

![](https://scrintal.com/__l5e/assets-v1/223c5588-dc3a-40c9-8716-87f35123fe01/scrintal-building-a-playground-for-the-mind-3.webp)

At Scrintal, we created this playground setting for your mind. We did rethink what a canvas can do, as mentioned in our [previous blogpost](https://scrintal.com/blog/doubling-down-on-scrintals-core-values).

We are introducing a completely new canvas. Instead of using cards as building blocks, we focus on allowing you to work more fluidly with your ideas.

Our approach has four key pillars:

- **Fleetness**: Casual thinking can remain temporary. Sometimes, the best insights come from free-form thinking that isn’t bound by the need to create something permanent. The optional temporariness allows you to explore new concepts freely.
- **Interconnection**: It’s essential to see how different ideas and pieces of information relate. We unlocked both universal and context-dependent connections. This way, you can choose what type of relationship to build among your ideas.
- **Permanence**: While you’re free to experiment and brainstorm without restrictions, you can also be sure that your key ideas and essential information are secure and searchable.
- **Reusability**: Unlike other visual tools, you invest in your library in Scrintal. We made it easier to access your archive and encouraged you to reuse what you already built.

These pillars guide our product development.

![](https://scrintal.com/__l5e/assets-v1/c7fe31a0-a7dc-4d34-b077-5aff2105b59a/scrintal-building-a-playground-for-the-mind-4.webp)

Here’s what you can expect from Scrintal’s playground for the mind👇

It is a light, playful experience. We understand that thinking is a non-linear process; it includes back and forths.

- **Seamless extraction of insights**: A complete re-design of the Scrintal canvas. Quickly and, in a fun way, extract your insights and place them on the canvas. Use the space for better thinking.
- **Merging ideas**: Combine different ideas and any element on your canvas to form new and cohesive documents. This is a process of iteration. We acknowledge this and give you the most enjoyable way of getting this work done.
- **Source management directly on canvas:** Track your sources. In the non-linear world of the creative person, accuracy and being able to follow your thought trail is crucial. We made this a top priority.

## Meet Scrintal — Playground for the mind this autumn.

Big news is on the horizon for [Scrintal](https://scrintal.com/) this autumn. We’re thrilled to launch what we are working on and introduce the most enjoyable way to shape ideas.

The good news is that you don’t need to wait until the launch. [Register here](https://form.typeform.com/to/IUllSmtH) to join the test cohorts and be among the first to try a completely new canvas experience. We’ll select our cohorts bi-weekly and email you. Anyone is welcome to register. However, we’ll prioritize our current users, who are our earliest believers.

We’ll share further announcements as we draw closer to the launch date! You can follow us on [X](https://x.com/scrintal), [read our blog](https://scrintal.com/blog), and make sure to leave your email to [subscribe to our newsletter](https://scrintal.com/).

👾🕹️👾 Ready for a new way of thinking?

\[1\] [Register here](https://form.typeform.com/to/IUllSmtH) now to join our test cohorts

\[2\] Check out what we’re building — [Scrintal](https://scrintal.com/)

\[2\] Follow our updates on [X](https://twitter.com/scrintal)

\[3\] Join our [community](https://l.scrint.al/join-community)

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Scrintal (https://scrintal.com) is a visual note-taking and research app. All pages and articles: https://scrintal.com/llms.txt