Writing as a user interface that facilitates thinking
note
Everything humans use is a user interface for performing some task. Writing-is-a-way-to-record-thought-through-language, so in a way, we use it as a user interface for thinking.
Humans are exceedingly good at inventing UIs on the fly. Often, thoughts are better encoded using multiple modalities rather than pure text/language. Diagrams, symbols, and equations. Some representations recruit the visual and motor cortex, using additional brain hardware than pure language. Having-the-right-user-interface-is-instrumental-in-performing-a-task.
Constructing and interpreting representations is necessary for learning new concepts and developing domain expertise.
References:
- Media for Thinking the Unthinkable
- Thinking with external representations
- Visual Thinking In Action: Visualizations As Used On Whiteboards
- As We May Ink? Learning from Everyday Analog Pen Use to Improve Digital Ink Experiences
- How Domain Experts Create Conceptual Diagrams and Implications for Tool Design
Links to this note
To use Writing-as-a-user-interface-that-facilitates-thinking effectively, we should be able to find information flexibly in our notes. We should be able to do searches similar to: FIND notes that contain "deep learning"...
Linked notes1 are a way to use Writing-as-a-user-interface-that-facilitates-thinking. The point is not writing notes per se, but accumulating knowledge, developing insight, and enhancing creativity. They are continuously-refined, living documents. Principles...
Since Writing-is-a-way-to-record-thought-through-language, and the whole point of Linked-notes is to use Writing-as-a-user-interface-that-facilitates-thinking, related notes should be connected together. Similar to how a train of thoughts take you from A to...
I often feel overwhelmed with the amount of thoughts in my head. Externalizing thought yields clarity. Linked-notes allow me to use Writing as a user interface that facilitates thinking. I...