Note-Taking Reference

Note-Taking Systems

System	Description
Cornell Method	Page divided into cues (left 30%), notes (right 70%), summary (bottom); cue column drives active recall during review
Zettelkasten	Atomic notes in your own words with explicit links; builds a network of understanding, not a filing cabinet; Niklas Luhmann used this to publish 70+ books
Outline Method	Hierarchical structure with main topics, subtopics, details; good for structured content like lectures; poor for non-linear topics
Mapping/Mind Map	Visual radial diagram from central concept; branches for subtopics; reveals structure and relationships
Flow Notes	Write freely without structure during input; connect ideas with arrows; capture the flow of thought, organize later
Sketchnoting	Combine text + simple drawings + visual hierarchy; dual coding (verbal + visual) improves retention significantly

System

Description

Cornell Method

Page divided into cues (left 30%), notes (right 70%), summary (bottom); cue column drives active recall during review

Zettelkasten

Atomic notes in your own words with explicit links; builds a network of understanding, not a filing cabinet; Niklas Luhmann used this to publish 70+ books

Outline Method

Hierarchical structure with main topics, subtopics, details; good for structured content like lectures; poor for non-linear topics

Mapping/Mind Map

Visual radial diagram from central concept; branches for subtopics; reveals structure and relationships

Flow Notes

Write freely without structure during input; connect ideas with arrows; capture the flow of thought, organize later

Sketchnoting

Combine text + simple drawings + visual hierarchy; dual coding (verbal + visual) improves retention significantly

Digital Note Architecture (AsciiDoc/Antora)

Pattern Implementation

Pattern	Implementation
Atomic Notes	One concept per partial file; include into multiple pages; single source of truth
Progressive Summarization	Layer 1: capture raw. Layer 2: bold key passages. Layer 3: highlight within bold. Layer 4: executive summary
PARA Method	Projects (active), Areas (ongoing), Resources (reference), Archive (inactive); maps to domus repo structure
Daily Capture	WRKLOG-YYYY-MM-DD format; section includes for consistent structure; `make new-day` automates scaffolding
Knowledge Graduation	Discovery → 3+ uses → Codex entry or Pattern; STD-015 lifecycle governs promotion
Cross-Referencing	xref between related documents; builds navigable knowledge graph from flat files

Atomic Notes

One concept per partial file; include into multiple pages; single source of truth

Progressive Summarization

Layer 1: capture raw. Layer 2: bold key passages. Layer 3: highlight within bold. Layer 4: executive summary

PARA Method

Projects (active), Areas (ongoing), Resources (reference), Archive (inactive); maps to domus repo structure

Daily Capture

WRKLOG-YYYY-MM-DD format; section includes for consistent structure; make new-day automates scaffolding

Knowledge Graduation

Discovery → 3+ uses → Codex entry or Pattern; STD-015 lifecycle governs promotion

Cross-Referencing

xref between related documents; builds navigable knowledge graph from flat files

Meeting Notes Template

Section	Content
Context	Date, attendees, purpose (1 line)
Decisions	What was decided — numbered, clear, unambiguous
Action Items	Who does what by when — owner + deadline required
Open Questions	Unresolved items needing follow-up
Key Takeaways	2-3 bullet synthesis for future reference

Section

Content

Context

Date, attendees, purpose (1 line)

Decisions

What was decided — numbered, clear, unambiguous

Action Items

Who does what by when — owner + deadline required

Open Questions

Unresolved items needing follow-up

Key Takeaways

2-3 bullet synthesis for future reference

Capture Principles

Principle	Description
Capture Everything	Write it down immediately; working memory holds 4 items; trust the system, not your brain
Process Daily	Raw capture is worthless without processing; review and organize within 24 hours
Write for Future You	Add context your future self needs; "fix the thing" is useless 6 months later
Separate Capture from Organize	Never organize while capturing — it breaks flow; capture first, organize in a separate pass
Use Your Own Words	Paraphrasing forces understanding; verbatim copying is passive and low-retention

Principle

Description

Capture Everything

Write it down immediately; working memory holds 4 items; trust the system, not your brain

Process Daily

Raw capture is worthless without processing; review and organize within 24 hours

Write for Future You

Add context your future self needs; "fix the thing" is useless 6 months later

Separate Capture from Organize

Never organize while capturing — it breaks flow; capture first, organize in a separate pass

Use Your Own Words

Paraphrasing forces understanding; verbatim copying is passive and low-retention