Four functional UI prototypes exploring different approaches to personal knowledge management for polymathic learners. Each solves the core problem through a fundamentally different mental model.
I am a polymathic learner with too many interests across diverse domains (Indian classical music, mathematics, physics, history of science). I read widely but struggle with:
"I've just been hoarding knowledge and never really processed it. I was obsessed with putting every link, reference, video into my second brain, but never really understanding it. It's a Dragon's Hoard. It just sits there."
— Zettelkasten Forum userCurrent tools like Org-Roam, Obsidian, and "second brain" systems optimize for capture and organization. But:
Retrieving information from memory strengthens it more than re-studying. The struggle to recall IS the learning. Used in: Forge
Review just before you forget. Intervals that feel "too long" are often optimal. Used in: Forge
Creating an answer strengthens memory more than reading one. Used in: Crucible
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it. Simplifying reveals gaps. Used in: Dialogue
Conditions that feel harder during learning produce better long-term retention. Used in: All prototypes
Spaced repetition + active recall. Cards have "heat" states. Test yourself just before you forget.
Gated processing. Raw material enters a queue. To save, you must explain in your own words and answer comprehension questions.
Question-based mapping. Each domain is a collection of questions with states: answered, partial, unknown.
Socratic dialogue. System probes with challenging questions. The conversation becomes your "note."
| Prototype | Core Mechanism | Best For | The Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forge | Spaced repetition + testing | Facts, definitions, procedures | Question you can answer |
| Crucible | Gated processing | Preventing knowledge hoarding | Understanding you articulate |
| Territory | Question-based mapping | Seeing gaps in knowledge | Question you can now answer |
| Dialogue | Socratic probing | Working through complex ideas | Conversation record |
You are a prototype designer combining Dieter Rams minimalism with Japanese Zen aesthetics. ## Context I am a polymathic learner with too many interests. I read widely but struggle with retrieval, recording, deep understanding, and coherence. Current "second brain" tools optimize for storage, not learning: - Storage ≠ understanding - Notes ≠ knowledge - Organization ≠ learning ## Challenge Design a personal knowledge system incorporating *effective learning* principles: - Spaced repetition, active recall, testing effect - Feynman technique (teaching to learn) - The gap between capturing and understanding - "Hoarding knowledge without processing it" ## Output Single HTML file with 3 switchable prototypes. Each must: 1. Solve via different mental model (not visual variations) 2. Be immediately usable with real interactions 3. Follow minimalist design principles ## For Each Prototype: - Name: One evocative word - Philosophy: One sentence about learning/knowledge - The unit: What is the atomic element? (Not "a note") ## Constraints - One bold aesthetic choice per prototype - Mobile-first - Google Fonts (Instrument Serif, Fraunces, Space Mono, Karla) - CSS-only animations, vanilla JS Key question: What's the difference between "having notes about X" and "understanding X"?
Memory is strengthened through retrieval struggle, not re-reading.
Retrieve from memory before revealing...
Carr's Synopsis listed 5,000 theorems with minimal proofs. Ramanujan supplied his own proofs, teaching himself by working backwards from results to derivations.
Testing effect: Retrieval strengthens memory more than re-studying. Spacing: Review just before forgetting. The struggle IS the learning.
You don't have a storage problem. You have a processing problem. One rule: you cannot save until you can explain.
"I've been hoarding knowledge without processing it. It's a Dragon's Hoard. It just sits there."
— Zettelkasten Forum userThe gap between beats is where internalization happens. FEELING 7 beats differs from knowing them intellectually.
Frequentists: long-run ratio. Bayesians: degree of belief. Different questions, not right/wrong.
Not notes you've taken. Questions you can now answer.
Understanding happens in conversation — with probing questions, with the resistance of articulating.
Questions that expose gaps: "But..." "What about..." "How does that explain..." Push you to the edges of understanding, where real learning happens.