Preferred embodiments of the invention provide a computer-implemented system and method for facilitating user thinking about an arbitrary problem. The system includes first means to facilitate the user specification of the problem to populate a problem structure. It also includes second means to facilitate the user specification of a conclusion, related to the problem specification, to populate a conclusion structure. It also includes third means to facilitate the user specification of knowledge, related to at least one of the problem specification and the conclusion specification, to populate a knowledge structure. Certain embodiments include controlling means to persuade user interaction with the first, second and third means to a sequence of interactions within a predefined set of interaction sequences, wherein the predefined set of interaction sequences define an archetype process for thinking about the problem. In certain embodiments, the archetype process is dynamic and changes in response to user interactions and to the content or structure of the problem structure, conclusion structure and knowledge structure.