Idea Capture and Development Workflow
A system for capturing ideas and developing them into mature, publishable content
The Development Pipeline
π₯ Inbox β π± Seeds β πΏ Plants β π² Evergreen
Ideas progress through stages of development, from raw captures to authoritative reference material.
Stage 1: Immediate Capture (π₯ Inbox)
When: You have a quick thought, insight, or question
How: Create new note in Inbox folder
Template: Noneβjust capture!
Capture Format
# [Descriptive title of the idea]
[Raw thought, question, or insight]
Source: [Where this came from - conversation, book, observation]
Context: [Why this matters or what triggered it]
Related: [Any obvious connections to existing knowledge]
Time Investment: 30 seconds to 2 minutes maximum
Key Principles
- Speed over structure
- Capture now, process later
- Maximum 48-hour residence time in inbox
Stage 2: Daily Processing (π₯ β π±)
When: During daily inbox review (5-10 minutes)
Decision Point: Is this worth developing into a Seed?
Promote to Seed If:
- Novel or interesting concept
- Potential for development
- Connects to your knowledge domains
- Worth future exploration
Other Actions:
- File elsewhere: If it's reference material (β CONSUME folders)
- Add to existing note: If it extends current content
- Delete: If no longer relevant
Stage 3: Seed Development (π±)
When: Ready to explore the idea properly
How: Apply Seed metadata and develop
Key Activities
- Proper YAML metadata
- Initial research and connections
- Questions for exploration
- Development planning
Target: 500-3,000 words of exploration
Seed Characteristics
- Single insight, question, or observation
- Initial connections identified
- Questions documented for future exploration
- Not yet structured into a framework
Stage 4: Plant Growth (πΏ)
When: Seed reaches 5,000+ words and has framework potential
How: Promote to Plant with structured analysis
Key Activities
- Framework development
- Practical applications
- Comprehensive connections
- Professional quality analysis
Target: 5,000+ words with clear structure
Plant Characteristics
- Multiple connected ideas
- Emerging structure/framework
- Active development in progress
- Beginning to be useful to others
Stage 5: Evergreen Maturity (π²)
When: Plant reaches 10,000+ words and authoritative status
How: Promote to Evergreen as definitive reference
Key Activities
- Authoritative analysis
- Extensive cross-references
- Publishing-ready quality
- Network centrality
Target: 10,000+ words, professional quality
Evergreen Characteristics
- Complete thoughts, ready for publishing/sharing
- Authoritative reference on the topic
- Central node in knowledge network
- Stable but can still be updated
Content Type Decision Tree
External Content (Direct to Templates)
| Content Type | Destination |
|---|---|
| Book | Book Template |
| Paper | Paper Template |
| Video | Video Template |
| Web Article | Webpage Template |
| Person | People Template |
Original Ideas (Inbox Pipeline)
Quick Idea β Inbox (no template)
β (daily review)
Seed Template
β (development)
Plant Template
β (maturity)
Evergreen Template
Template Usage Guidelines
When to Skip Templates
- Inbox capture: Speed over structure
- Quick references: Just need to save a link
- Meeting notes: Use Meeting Template instead
When Templates are Essential
- Development pipeline: Seeds, Plants, Evergreens
- Structured content: Books, Papers, formal analysis
- Publishing preparation: Blog posts, newsletters
- System management: Reviews, processing sessions
Processing Time Guidelines
| Stage | Time Investment |
|---|---|
| Inbox capture | 30 seconds - 2 minutes |
| Seed creation | 10-30 minutes |
| Plant development | 1-3 hours |
| Evergreen creation | 3-8 hours |
Practical Example
Quick Idea (Inbox Capture)
# Students struggling with AI tool evaluation
Noticed in class today - students can use ChatGPT but can't
assess if the output is good. They need evaluation frameworks,
not just prompting skills.
Source: ENGL 101 class observation
Context: Assignment review session
Later β Seed Development
---
title: "AI Output Evaluation Frameworks for Students"
status: π±_seed
tags:
- ai-literacy
- critical-thinking
- student-assessment
---
# AI Output Evaluation Frameworks for Students
## Core Concept
Students need structured approaches to evaluate AI-generated
content quality, accuracy, and appropriateness rather than
just accepting outputs uncritically.
[Continues with development...]
Key Principle
Templates provide structure when you're ready to develop content properly. For quick capture, prioritize speed over structure, then apply templates during focused processing time.