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Quick-start Guide
Turn any question into a visual knowledge grid
Start with a prompt that can branch. RationalGrid works best when you want to compare options, test a claim, or unpack a system one node at a time.
Example prompt
“Should cities expand digital surveillance in public spaces, and what are the trade-offs?”
A strong opener creates obvious branches: privacy, safety, bias, cost, and alternatives.
Practice prompts
What trade-offs come with universal basic income?
Policy · Trade-offs
Should schools ban smartphones in class?
Education · Trade-offs
What are the strongest objections to AI adoption?
Technology · Debate
Is eating meat ethically defensible?
Ethics · Argument
Or start with your own question…
Prompt patterns
Learn what makes a prompt branch
If your first prompt stalls, reframe it as one of these patterns.
Compare positions
“Should cities expand digital surveillance in public spaces, and what are the trade-offs?”
Explain a system
“How do recommendation algorithms shape what people see online?”
Test an ethical question
“Is eating meat ethically defensible, and what are the strongest arguments on each side?”
Trace causes and effects
“Why are so many people skeptical of AI, and which concerns hold up?”
Avoid dead ends
Learn which prompts usually stall out
“Tell me everything about X.”
Too broad. Pick one angle, question, or comparison.
“Just give me the answer.”
This works best when you want a map, not a verdict.
“Write the perfect essay for me.”
Better: break it into claims, evidence, and objections first.
First session
Learn a repeatable first 10-minute workflow
Do less than you think. Follow one promising branch at a time.
1
Ask one focused question
Start with a comparison, explanation, or tension.
2
Read the strongest node
Read first, then select the useful phrase if you want precision.
3
Mix Ask and Post
Ask creates an AI branch. Post adds your own point or challenge.
4
Save what matters
Highlight passages, star key nodes, then share or revisit later.
Learn the workspace once, then start branching
You do not need every control upfront. Learn the main actions, then make the smallest useful next move.
Shortcuts panel
Search, open help, switch to reader view, share, present, or open controls.
Reading panel
The selected node opens here. Read it first, then select a phrase for a narrower follow-up.
Ask vs Post
Ask creates a new AI branch. Post adds your own claim, objection, example, or note to the map.
Grid tools
These act on the selected node. Use them to test a claim, branch outward, split an answer, or blend nodes.
Bottom bar
Learn the composer and node actions
This is the control strip you will use most. Understand this row first, then branch outward.
Post = your comment · Ask = AI response
Grid tools
What You Learn Here
AI continuation
Extend the selected node with a new AI answer or follow-up branch.
Your contribution
Add your own claim, objection, example, or note into the map.
Node actions
Use Pro | Con, Related, Expand, or Blend after you know what branch is worth growing.
Choose the next move
Learn which tool to use next
Once the bottom bar is familiar, use this as a quick reference for the next thinking move.
Ask
Use when you want the AI to continue from the selected node with a new answer.
Post
Use when you want your own claim, objection, example, or note inside the map.
Pro | Con
Use when the current node is a claim that needs testing from both sides.
Related
Use when you want nearby concepts, counterpoints, or adjacent directions.
Expand
Use when one node already contains several promising subtopics to split apart.
Blend
Use when two nodes should be synthesized into a shared view or a productive contrast.
Whole-grid controls
Controls outside the current node
Search and Doc
Search the graph or switch to reader view for a more linear pass.
Highlights
Review saved excerpts and jump back into the node they came from.
Present and Share
Turn a large grid into a guided path, or share one link for the same map.
Controls
Change display settings, privacy, export options, and other graph-level tools.
Good habits
Keep the grid useful
Ask narrowly when you can
Selecting a phrase usually produces a better branch than asking another broad top-level question.
Expand late, not early
Read the current answer first. Expanding everything at once creates noise faster than understanding.
After solo exploration, this same workflow scales well to classes and teams.
For classes and teams
One shared map is easier to discuss than scattered chats
Seed a few starting nodes, point people to a specific branch, and let everyone add questions, objections, and highlights in the same place.
Seed the starting structure
Add the key question, source, or topic split before you share the grid.
Direct people to one branch
Give students or teammates a clear part of the map to extend rather than asking them to cover everything.
Review with highlights and reader view
Use saved passages and the Doc view when you want to discuss or revise the grid together.