Merge, branch and exclude: shaping ideas on a graph

A canvas full of nodes is only useful if you can shape it. Grafy gives you three core moves.

Branch

Split a line of work into alternatives. Each branch is independent, so you can develop two ideas in parallel and keep both.

Merge

Combine two or more nodes into a single synthesis — blend, compare, reconcile or summarize. The merged node links back to its sources so you never lose the trail.

Exclude

Temporarily drop an ancestor from the context to ask "what if this had not happened?" The result records what it ignored, so what-ifs stay honest.

Together they make non-linear thinking concrete. Build a graph and try all three.