Quick notes & Cognitive scaffolding: Livestream w/ Eleanor & Nick

TL;DR

Design note systems for retrieval and future thinking, not just for storing information.

Briefing Cornell Notes

Briefing

The core takeaway from this livestream is that effective note-taking in Obsidian isn’t just about capturing information—it’s about designing “cognitive scaffolding” so ideas can grow over time. Eleanor Koenig and Nick Milo compare multiple workflows that all aim at the same outcome: turning scattered reading, questions, and inspiration into structured, retrievable knowledge that supports both near-term writing and long-term research.

Koenig frames her approach around two passes through source material. First, she highlights and annotates articles, then she converts those highlighted fragments into atomic claim notes and organizes them into higher-level “gestalt” literature reviews. A small but practical detail—closing hover cards so the screen doesn’t jerk around—becomes part of how she keeps attention steady while processing. She also uses a more targeted method when she’s writing newsletters: she starts from a creative prompt (e.g., researching unusual armor for a story), collects niche historical notes, and then lets unrelated-but-interesting discoveries “accrete” into separate threads she can use later.

Milo’s contribution centers on a structured framework for note-making he calls the “seven c’s of note making,” presented as a mnemonic for turning a concept into something usable. The steps include creating the note, connecting it (“this reminds me of…” and “the most relevant link for me is…”), clarifying, coloring/personifying the concept, critiquing it, citing where it comes from, and finally curating it into a polished form that’s ready to link outward. He then goes meta with “unrequited notes”—notes that link to a topic but aren’t linked back—arguing they’re useful for research because they create a queue of related material to process when revisiting a concept.

A major theme is how metadata and interfaces shape thinking. Koenig discusses using icons and CSS-driven “checkbox blocks” (via themes like Minimal and Sanctum) to make dense notes scannable: links, quotes, claims, and questions become visually distinct so future-you can find what matters quickly. She also uses “seed boxes” (opportunity lists) and “outstanding questions” views powered by Dataview-style queries, emphasizing that tags can function as to-do systems while other mechanisms support categorical retrieval.

The conversation also tackles visualization and navigation. Milo demonstrates Dataview “data scopes” (notes that bundle multiple queries into reusable viewports) and shows how sortable tables can connect people, dates, and tags—turning a personal interest (like thinkers or fictional characters) into an explorable dataset. Koenig adds that breadcrumbs-style navigation helps her maintain a focused “academic chain” without drowning in backlinks or a large local graph.

Finally, both repeatedly return to the human side: the best systems increase “affordances” for playful exploration. When notes are fun to browse—rather than a rigid ticketing system—insights emerge more often, including “happy little accidents” that later become publishable work. The livestream ends with practical troubleshooting and a shared interest in future developments like richer graph/breadcrumb interactions and better support for querying task-like elements.

Cornell Notes

The livestream argues that note systems should be built for growth, not just storage. Eleanor Koenig describes workflows that process highlighted sources into claim-based atomic notes and then organize them into higher-level reviews, plus a separate “newsletter deep dive” approach where niche research accretes into future writing. Nick Milo offers a “seven c’s” mnemonic (create, connect, clarify, color/personify, critique, cite, curate) and introduces “unrequited notes” to manage research queues that point to a topic without being linked back. Both emphasize that metadata, icons, and queryable views (Dataview-style data scopes, breadcrumbs, outstanding-question lists) reduce friction so future-you can retrieve ideas quickly. The payoff: systems that support both active work and future thinking, often through playful browsing rather than rigid productivity.

How does Eleanor Koenig turn raw reading into something retrievable for writing later?

She uses a two-pass workflow: first she highlights and annotates articles (often importing them and processing them in Obsidian, with revise as a common method). On the second pass, she converts each highlighted/annotated fragment into claim statements, then creates atomic notes anchored to those references. Those atomic notes get organized into a “gestalt” notebook structure—like a literature review—so she can open a set of notes, integrate them, and close them when done to keep her workspace stable.

What does “unrequited notes” mean, and why does it help research?

Unrequited notes are notes that link to a concept (e.g., “accretion”) but the concept note doesn’t link back to them. That differs from typical backlinks. For research, it creates a ready-made list of related material that points to the topic but hasn’t yet been processed in that context. When revisiting the concept note, the researcher can see what other notes are waiting and incorporate them as needed.

What are the “seven c’s of note making,” and how do they transform a concept into a usable note?

The mnemonic is: Create, Connect, Clarify, Color (personify), Critique, Cite, and Curate. The key move is connecting first—using prompts like “this reminds me of…” and “the most relevant link for me is…”—to generate associations. After clarifying and critiquing, the note ends by citing sources and curating the content into a polished, link-ready form that supports future writing and linking.

How do icons and CSS-driven checkbox blocks change the day-to-day usability of dense notes?

Koenig uses theme-supported CSS features (not a separate plugin) so notes become scannable: icons visually separate link targets, quotes, claims, and questions. Instead of rereading wall-of-text entries, she can jump directly to the relevant link or evidence. She also uses checkbox-like blocks as structured elements that can be queried and filtered, supporting quick retrieval of outstanding questions and priorities.

What’s the difference between tags-as-to-dos and tags-as-categories in their systems?

Koenig treats tags more like workflow actions (e.g., research tasks, editing tasks, writing tasks), often using them as a Kanban-like reminder system. Milo leans more toward tags/categories that support retrieval and association building. The discussion highlights that tags aren’t inherently one thing; their meaning depends on how the system is designed and what queries/views you build on top of them.

Why do both hosts emphasize “play” and “affordances” rather than strict productivity?

They argue that the environment around your notes can increase the likelihood of “happy accidents.” If browsing and fiddling with ideas is enjoyable, people return to their notes more often, and insights emerge organically. In contrast, rigid task systems can reduce exploration and make learning feel like ticket management rather than discovery.

Review Questions

Which specific steps in the “seven c’s” workflow are meant to generate associations early, and which steps are meant to make the note more defensible (e.g., citations) and usable later (curation)?
How do unrequited notes differ from backlinks, and what research workflow does that enable?
In Koenig’s system, what roles do icons/checkbox blocks and “seed boxes” play in reducing friction for future-you?

Key Points

1
Design note systems for retrieval and future thinking, not just for storing information.
2
Use a two-pass processing approach: extract atomic claims from highlighted evidence, then reorganize into higher-level structures for writing.
3
Adopt a concept-to-note pipeline (like the seven c’s) that starts with connecting associations before over-optimizing definitions.
4
Create research queues using “unrequited notes” so related material is waiting when you revisit a topic.
5
Make dense notes scannable with icons and theme-supported checkbox blocks so future-you can jump to links, quotes, claims, and questions quickly.
6
Bundle query-heavy views into reusable “data scopes” so different perspectives (by interface, navigation, rating, developer, etc.) don’t require rebuilding each time.
7
Favor playful browsing and “affordances” in your note environment; it increases the odds of productive, accidental insights.

Highlights

“Unrequited notes” turn research into a queue: notes can point to a concept without the concept linking back, so revisiting the concept surfaces what’s waiting to be processed.

The seven c’s of note making front-load association (“this reminds me of…”) and end with curation, producing notes that are ready to link and reuse.

Icons and CSS-driven checkbox blocks make dense Obsidian notes navigable at a glance—turning evidence and claims into visual landmarks.

Breadcrumbs and focused graph-like navigation can prevent overwhelm by keeping an “academic chain” view separate from broader personal linking.

Both hosts argue that fun browsing and fiddling increase “happy accidents,” which later become publishable work. 

Topics

Cognitive Scaffolding
Obsidian Workflows
Seven C’s Note Making
Unrequited Notes
Dataview Data Scopes

Mentioned

Eleanor Koenig
Nick Milo
Danny Lardy
Pat Hope
Cecilia
Anthony Baker
Ross
PKM
CSS
SQL