Brainstorming software is computer software that is used for the development of creative ideas — brainstorming

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a group creativity technique by which a group tries to find a solution for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members...

. Some formats or structures for this include flow charts, idea maps, word association

Word Association

Word Association is a common word game involving an exchange of words that are associated together. The game is based on the noun phrase word association, meaning "stimulation of an associative pattern by a word" or "the connection and production of other words in response to a given word, done...

 and generative idea creation programs. Ideation

Ideation

Ideation is the creative process of generating, developing, and communicating new ideas, where an idea is understood as a basic element of thought that can be either visual, concrete, or abstract. Ideation is all stages of a thought cycle, from innovation, to development, to actualization...

 is often associated with brainstorming software. Some of the earliest brainstorming software programs were IdeaFisher, Thinkle, Paramind

Paramind

ParaMind Brainstorming Software is one of many brainstorming software programs.Brainstorming software programs are a frequently used but still not popular typeof software that have been in existence at least since the 1980s. ParaMind was...

 and programs using Markov chains called Markov text generators.