Phase 1 — Orientation: Cognitive Friction in Obsidian
Source: ~/Downloads/Cognitive-Friction-in-Obsidian.json
Phase: 1
Previous: —
Next: Phase2 - Freeze (not written yet)
Status: hub-approved
Pipeline: CONSTITUTION - Publishable Asset Pipeline · 00 - Downloads Batch Map Index
Human prompts (user role only)
P1 — The suffocation
Obsidian feels suffocating; the sidebar is the most hated surface. Canvas / visual tools still funnel back to Obsidian because of integration. Multiple vaults are a workaround; a single vault contaminates fast. Shifting contexts turns the sidebar into a mess (hard to tell things apart physically or visually). Wants dual encoding: visual and verbal access. Asks: what is this problem, and how do I deal with it? (Open-ended; “you tell me the question.“)
P2 — Practical plugins only
Drop the philosophical framing. Name exact technical plugins or concrete layout changes that make Obsidian usable now. Search existing tools (few, not a plugin pile). If nothing fits, design / build a plugin. Explicit ban on more abstract narrative about the “dream system.”
P3 — Pain diagnosis (multiple choice + F)
Answers C, E, F: everything looks visually identical; constant scrolling to recover place; F = retrieval of anything is a nightmare.
P4 — Folded paper compression experiment
Experiments with paper folded twice into four regions; writes compressed key material in each region. Asks for PubMed / Google Scholar on whether writing organization (order, nesting, hierarchy) improves spatial retention in the same physical space, not the usual “handwriting is superior” claim. Suspects hierarchical nesting packs compressed metadata into limited space.
P5 — Correction: folds are time, not XY categories
Rejects the AI’s “quadrants as concept / examples / details” frame. Folds are temporal segments: at any moment you only see one-fourth of the page (e.g. morning vs later phases of one day). Goal is temporal association and flow: morning thinking stays on one side, later thinking elsewhere; unfolding at the end reveals how the day evolved. Pocketable form factor matters. (Paper was lost.)
Intents / curiosities / conflicts (~12)
- Name the felt problem: cognitive / interface “suffocation,” not only “I hate sidebars.”
- Why vaults “contaminate” so fast when context shifts.
- Library-style PKM (permanent folders, everything always visible) vs production / session mind (dump, compress, move on).
- Scene switching: whole environment should match the active mission; unrelated work should disappear.
- Immediate, short plugin / layout list that reduces File Explorer pain.
- Whether the real gap is a missing custom plugin (e.g. mission mode, retrieval dashboard).
- Visual sameness: no landmarks, colors, or spatial regions to anchor place.
- Lost place under scroll: no stable spatial memory in the tree.
- Retrieval failure: remember what something was about, not folder path.
- Time / project / conversation / association as preferred retrieval axes vs folder → file → search.
- Physical folded-page practice as dual encoding and compression under fixed space.
- Temporal segmentation via folds (reveal day in phases, prevent hindsight overwrite) vs categorical layout.
- Tension: need a working Obsidian stack today vs long-term “OS of contexts” / external retrieval layer.
- Tension: human wants concrete fixes first; AI first answer was systems / philosophy (prompt P2 pushback).
AI coverage (orientation only)
| Intent area | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Storage vs activity; landmarks vs lists; no closure; context pollution; scene switching; pipeline vs library | Strong (P1 reply): clear diagnosis, warehouse metaphor, TODAY / mission sketch |
| Exact plugins for sidebar clutter (File Tree Alternative, Workspaces, Explorer, Portals / Theme by Folder) | Strong (P2 reply): short list + “Mission Mode” build sketch |
| Diagnosis C / E / F → retrieval-first stack (Omnisearch, Quick Switcher++, Recent Files, Bookmarks, Smart Connections) | Strong (P3 reply): maps pains to tools; retrieval-axes frame |
| Gap product ideas (Mission Mode, Retrieval Dashboard) | Good as design prompts; not verified product specs |
| Spatial layout / hierarchical handwriting literature (P4) | Partial / misfire: treated quadrants as category layout; useful cues (location as cue when attended; hierarchy; spatial note strategies) but wrong problem framing |
| Temporal folds / progressive reveal / anti-hindsight (P5) | Strong after correction: temporal segmentation, sealed morning, progressive context, episodic day-as-artifact; light digital backup idea |
| Dual encoding (visual + verbal) as design requirement | Touched via landmarks / spatial / paper; not a deep dual-coding literature pass |
| ”What exact plugin if we build one” as implementation plan | Weak: concept UIs only, no build steps |
Overall: Diagnosis and immediate Obsidian mitigation are the publishable spine. Paper method becomes valuable after the temporal-fold correction. Weakest public value: pure product fantasy without ship path; personal “lost the paper” is texture, not body.
Audience outline (reader order, false leaps fixed)
Skeleton only. Order for a normal reader who lands mid-pain, not mid-philosophy.
-
Open on the feeling
Sidebar / vault mess as cognitive tax; “everything always alive”; contamination when context shifts. -
Name the mismatch
Storage hierarchy vs activity / session mind; landmarks vs lists; need for scene switching and closure (pipeline, not endless library). -
Narrow the real pain
Not “note-taking skills.” Visual sameness + lost place + retrieval nightmare (C, E, F). -
What to do in Obsidian this week
Short list: kill default tree as primary nav (File Tree Alternative / Explorer / Workspaces); retrieval stack (Omnisearch, Quick Switcher++, Recent Files, Bookmarks); optional Smart Connections; light color / context theming. Cap plugin count. -
What is still missing
Mission-mode sidebar; retrieval by time / project / conversation / association. Obsidian as storage; smarter retrieval layer on top (product foreshadow, not full build). -
Parallel experiment: paper as temporal compression
Folded day page: one-fourth visible at a time; morning sealed from evening rewrite; unfold for flow. Space limit forces compression. Not “quadrants are superior categories.” -
Bridge, not either/or
Digital: reduce contamination via workspaces + search-first. Analog (or photo of paper): preserve episodic day narrative. Same theme: context and time beat permanent warehouse UI. -
Close
You are not failing Obsidian correctly; you are stress-testing a library UI with a production / episodic brain. Ship the short stack; keep the fold idea as a temporal memory practice worth iterating (with a photo backup).
Phase 1 complete. Hub gate before Phase 2 Freeze.