Visual Thinking Tools

While thinking in my PKM system, I focus on writing about the idea or topic for each note. As I am writing, it causes me to think more about what I'm writing. So I capture that meta-writing (writing about my writing), where I capture my sparks, ideas, thoughts, feelings, questions, and actions so I review them later in Dataview queries without distracting my current focus.

Besides the text that I write about in the Obsidian editor, it's also extremely helpful to use various visual thinking tools. There a different features and strengths for each one, and I will write more details about them later. However, I provide a brief outline of a few and mention some other for some potential uses that you might want to try.

Markdown

There are many aspects of Markdown text that support visual thinking in your notes, and features for structuring and formatting plain text. Many of these provide different ways to organize content in your notes, include metadata properties and fields about the note and list items, and use links to connect with related notes.

Headings

You have multiple levels of headings using 1–6 hash marks # that allow you to separate your content into sections and a nested structure. Level 1 headings are used for the note title, and level 2 is mainly used for main sections; then levels 3–6 can be used for sub-sections as needed. Each level uses different fonts and sizes indicate the level.

Obsidian supports folding to collapse or expand any heading level, so that makes it easy to shift your focus and avoid the distraction of details.

Lists

With lists, you can create items in simple or nested bullet - or numbered lists 1.. Or you can use checklist items - [ ] for actions (or "tasks") for things you want to remember to do.

Obsidian also supports folding to collapse and expand nested lists. This can be very useful when twirling down or rolling up list items. For example, you can review some list items, and summarize them as a group.

You can use your headings in Shortcuts using Actions for Obsidian, which provides actions that can append or prepend text before or after a heading; this makes it easy to capture list items in a journal or log entries.

Tables

Markdown offers advanced formatting for tables, diagrams, or math. For example, tables allow you to easily display data within a row/column table format to simplify presentation of some content. It includes tools that helps you to created and edit these tables.

Properties

Obsidian file properties define associated values (or lists) in YAML frontmatter as name: value pair with a single colon at the beginning of a note before its body. You can choose whether you want these properties to be formatted and visible, appear in an associated file properties pane, or be hidden.

This allows you to define metadata about the entire note such as type, status, navigation links (up/related), dates (created), tags, aliases, or unique ID. You can use these properties in Dataview queries that you use to help manage your notes and workflows.

Fields

In a similar way, Dataview supports using inline metadata fields within the body of a note such as list items. These are written as key::value pairs with a double-colon; you can control whether you want the field name visible by either enclosing them in square brackets [ ] or parentheses ( ).

These metadata can be used by Dataview queries to gather and review list items across your notes later. These are often used to log health or habit information related to health like weight, exercise, meals, diabetes, etc. There also implicit fields available for Dataview queries with metadata for pages or lists (or tasks).

Links

Obsidian internal links (WikiLinks) using double-bracket syntax [[ ]] make it easy to connect your Obsidian notes together for relationships and navigation.

External links using standard Markdown link syntax [title](url) allow you to include references to any web page (or API) on the internet; this also supports using URL schemes to provide links to other applications such as OmniFocus, DEVONthink, etc.

Obsidian also has special core plugins to view incoming backlinks and outgoing links to every note, as well as unlinked mentions. These are quite useful when managing your note's connections.

Canvas

Obsidian provides an infinite Canvas for visual notes using a standard JSON Canvas text format that supports interoperability with other tools, and is also supported in a special Obsidian visual editor. This allows you to include notes, cards, and images with lines, arrows, and links, along with groups, lists, fonts, and colors so you can think visually.

It's quite easy to use once you learn the basics, and nicely complements your notes and maps. However, for some things, it's better to use another tool like MindNode that support mind mapping.

Folders

You don't normally think of folders as a visual tool since they are mainly a way to group related files together as an organizational tool. Usually, it's more effective and flexible to use maps first, and only use folders when that structure is earned such as when you want to collect a groups of resources to package for distribution.

However, the Obsidian File Explorer makes it easy to navigate, collapse, and expand any folder so it actually can be a useful visual tool.

Tags

In a similar way, tags (preceded by hashmark #) can be used to group some notes together by some common characteristic, like being in a certain collection like books, movies, etc. You have additional flexibility since they can be nested, and Obsidian supports prompting when entering those nested tags. Obsidian offers many ways to view notes that share a specific tag, property, file path, or name using the Search pane, Tag pane, tag notes, or simply clicking on a tag.

Maps

There are many features of Obsidian that help you create your maps, just like notes. The most useful are Move Line Up/Down hotkeys, outline pane, local graph, and Note Refactor plugin.

They also support your thinking about how a cluster of notes are connected, and visual perspectives help with this, especially when you have many related notes that you’re trying to organize around a certain topic.

You might watch Nick Milo explain map making to Tiago Forte using Obsidian as a second brain, or another video about using ACE folders in a PKM system based on knowledge, time, and action (recently extended to ACE-x with Ideaverse Pro 2.5). Also, see other resources about maps from Mike Schmitz, Sergio Juarez, or Tim Miller.

Hotkeys

Obsidian supports custom hotkeys that you can map to any command or template. When making maps, I move lots of lines about as I'm clustering list items and links that I have collected from Arc Browser, Obsidian Search, or auto-completion.

I have Cmd-1 and Cmd-2 mapped to hotkeys for Move Line Up and Move Line Down. Then it's so easy to rearrange what I have in my map, and begin to make sense of what I have, or create new items or future links that I need to fill any gaps.

Outline

The outline pane shows the structure of the headings in the current note (or map). I usually have this a sidebar pane on the right, but if it's larger it can be easily dragged over into its own separate pane. This help you to see your headings at a glance, check that the levels are appropriate, and make adjustments quite easily. However, the outline does not show what this note or map is connected with.

Local Graph

The local graph serves that purpose since it provide a visual graph of the link connections in this note or map. This allows you to see related notes at a glance, and make necessary adjustments (or refactoring).

Note Refactor

To break sections out from a larger note (or map) into smaller notes, the Note Refactor plugin is great. I use Shift-Cmd-C as a hotkey to select what I want to move to a new note, and it automatically inserts links between those notes also. Then you can use the local graph visually to view these connections.

Mind maps

Sometimes, you want to use other apps with special capabilities such as MindNode that offers mind mapping and outlining. Mind maps are a great way to brainstorm or organize ideas on a specific topic, and it's much easier to create fan-like connections than using Canvas.

For example, I find it helpful when constructing a map during early thinking about the associated structure and linking. You can include links to your mind maps within your notes and maps. For example, my maps often have an associated mind map, and Obsidian will automatically open it in MindNode when you click on a link.

Also, mind maps can be a good way to map out the contents of a web site, like a cluster of related notes, as well as possible navigation routes between major areas.

Check out how Mike Schmitz uses mind mapping with Obsidian in his PKM system, as well as his Idea Development System.

Freeform

I also find Apple Freeform digital whiteboard very easy to use as another drawing tool. It's a great way to create visuals to complement your notes and maps. Also, it's a good way to create a drawing or diagram that can be used as a screenshot image to be embedded (or linked) from any note or map.

For example, I have used Freeform to create some of the images in my Ghost content that focus on integration across various apps and tools in my PKM system. Check out their original announcement or watch this short How to Use Freeform video from Apple.

Canva

Another tool that's quite versatile for creating drawings and images is Canva that you can use on the web (I use it in Arc Browser), but you have the option to open it in their desktop app instead. These can also be incorporated in your notes and maps. For example, it quite easy to overlay text over an image.

Excalidraw

Of course, the Excalidraw plugin provides extensive support for drawings and sketches within Obsidian notes and maps, but the learning curve is somewhat higher because it has so much more capabilities and features. You can view Excalidraw to see explore the editor in your browser, check out a showcase in Zsolt's blog, or watch his Getting Started with Visual PKM video.

Dataview

Although you tend to think of Dataview as a query tool for Obsidian with much flexibility to provide views for your notes and maps, it does this with a visual display via lists and tables. Check out these learning resources: Beginner's Guide, YouTube video, online Dataview Example vault, or download it. The Dataview Query Builder is a web tool that helps you create Dataview queries with a simple prompted user interface, which you can simply paste into your Obsidian notes.

Mermaid

Obsidian supports `mermaid` code blocks using Mermaid text syntax to create visual diagrams and charts within your notes and maps. There is also a Mermaid Tools plugin that provides a Mermaid toolbar for developing Mermaid diagrams from examples. These can illustrate types, status, or workflow with various visualizations: user journey, state, class/object, sequence, entity relationship, flow, timelines, quadrant, gantt, pie, XY, etc. It takes a little bit to get familiar with, but this can be useful in the right context.

Kanban

Using the Kanban plugin allows you present a visual board with columns, cards, and lists with drag/drop functions to move items and cards between columns. This can provide a visual dashboard into note status or workflow. This What is a Kanban Board might be helpful, if you aren't familiar with the concept.

Files

Of course, other apps provide various files and formats that can complement Obsidian notes with special features. This is screenshots, images, PDF documents, tables, spreadsheets, etc.

Apps

As mentioned briefly, you can link and integrate Obsidian with other applications in many ways such as links, URL schemes, Shortcuts, or APIs. For example, this allows to use other apps in your environment like Notion, Fantastical (Calendar), DEVONthink, and many more. I will focus a lot on Obsidian Integration with many notes about many apps.

Analog

I should also mention that analog tools can be useful sometimes as well, such as simple quick paper sketch, notebook, or napkin. Remember, you can always capture a photo or image scan on your phone and use that in a note or map.

WarrenWeb

So I hope this whets your appetite and provides some sparks that may motivate you to see how you might use visual tools to help with thinking, writing, linking, mapping, and sharing.

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