In note-taking applications like Conoted, organizing vast amounts of information efficiently is critical for productivity and clarity. Tags, parent tags, the Idea Compass methodology, and color coding offer a robust framework for structuring notes, especially in collaborative environments with multiple groups. This article explores how to combine these elements to create an intuitive, scalable, and visually appealing system for managing information in Conoted, while addressing the potential for confusion when both notes and tags are color-coded.

Understanding the Components

Tags

Tags are labels assigned to notes to categorize and connect them based on shared themes or attributes. For example, a note about a team meeting might be tagged #meetings or #work. Tags enable quick retrieval and grouping of related notes.

Parent Tags

Parent tags introduce hierarchy by grouping related tags under a broader category. For instance, #work_team1/meetings and #work_team1/projects are sub-tags under the parent tag #work_team1. This structure, similar to Obsidian’s hierarchical tags, organizes information logically and reduces clutter.

Idea Compass

The Idea Compass, inspired by the Zettelkasten methodology and implemented in Conoted, is a method for organizing notes and tags around a central idea with four directional categories (North, South, East, West). Each direction represents a different aspect of the central idea:

  • North: Big ideas, sources, or causes (e.g., theories or concepts that inspire the note).
  • South: Subtopics or detailed aspects (e.g., specific components of the main idea).
  • East: Applications, opposing views, or flaws (e.g., practical uses or critiques).
  • West: Related ideas or alternative methods (e.g., other approaches to the same topic).

For example, for a group with the parent tag #work_team1, the Idea Compass might include:

  • North: #work_team1/ideas (innovative proposals).
  • South: #work_team1/projects (specific tasks).
  • East: #work_team1/applications (practical implementations).
  • West: #work_team1/resources (related materials).

Color Coding

Conoted allows users to assign colors to notes, and extending this to tags can enhance visual organization. Inspired by macOS Finder’s color-coded tags, colors can differentiate parent tags, Idea Compass directions, or sub-tags, making navigation intuitive. For example, #work_team1 could be red, while #work_team2 is blue.

Benefits of This Approach

  1. Hierarchical Organization:
    • Parent tags and the Idea Compass create a clear structure, grouping related sub-tags under broader categories. This reduces the chaos of numerous tags in Conoted’s general feed.
  2. Visual Clarity:
    • Colors make it easy to distinguish groups, parent tags, or Idea Compass directions at a glance, complementing the colors assigned to notes for status or priority.
  3. Enhanced Searchability:
    • Searching for a parent tag (e.g., #work_team1) retrieves all notes with its sub-tags (e.g., #work_team1/projects), while colors help users quickly identify relevant categories.
  4. Contextual Clarity:
    • Unique parent tags for each group (e.g., #work_team1 vs. #work_team2) prevent overlap, while colors reinforce group distinctions.
  5. Creative Connections:
    • The Idea Compass encourages linking notes across directions, fostering creative insights by connecting big ideas (North) to practical applications (East).
  6. Scalability:
    • This system handles large volumes of tags, as parent tags and colors keep the interface manageable, even with thousands of notes.

Strategies for Structuring Information

1. Define Unique Parent Tags for Groups

Assign unique parent tags to each group to avoid conflicts. For example:

  • Group “Team 1”: #work_team1
  • Group “Team 2”: #work_team2

This ensures that searching for #work_team1 retrieves only Team 1’s notes, maintaining context across groups.

2. Apply the Idea Compass

For each group, define a central parent tag and create four Idea Compass directions. For example:

  • Group: Team 1
    • Parent Tag: #work_team1
    • Directions:
      • North: #work_team1/ideas (innovative proposals)
      • South: #work_team1/projects (specific tasks)
      • East: #work_team1/applications (practical uses)
      • West: #work_team1/resources (related materials)

Add sub-tags under each direction for granularity, e.g., #work_team1/projects/CRM or #work_team1/ideas/automation.

3. Assign Colors to Tags

Leverage Conoted’s color-coding feature to assign colors to tags, complementing note colors:

  • Parent Tags: Assign distinct colors to group parent tags (e.g., #work_team1 as red, #work_team2 as blue).
  • Idea Compass Directions: Use shades of the parent tag’s color for directions (e.g., light red for #work_team1/projects, dark red for #work_team1/meetings) or unique colors for each direction (e.g., orange for #work_team1/ideas).
  • Sub-Tags: Inherit the direction’s color or use a neutral color (e.g., gray) to avoid clutter.

Example:

  • Group “Team 1”: #work_team1 (red)
    • #work_team1/projects (light red)
    • #work_team1/meetings (dark red)
    • #work_team1/ideas (orange)
    • #work_team1/resources (gray)
  • Group “Team 2”: #work_team2 (blue)
    • #work_team2/projects (light blue)
    • #work_team2/meetings (dark blue)

4. Differentiate Note and Tag Colors

To avoid confusion between note and tag colors:

  • Note Colors: Use for status or priority (e.g., red for urgent, green for completed).
  • Tag Colors: Use for categories or groups (e.g., red for #work_team1, blue for #work_team2).
  • UI Distinction: Display note colors as backgrounds and tag colors as badges or icons, similar to macOS Finder’s approach.
  • Accessibility: Include text labels, icons, or patterns alongside colors to support users with color vision deficiencies, as per Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines.

5. Prioritize Groups and Parent Tags in Search

Configure Conoted’s general feed or search to prioritize groups and parent tags:

  • A search for “work” displays groups (e.g., “Team 1”, “Team 2”) and parent tags (e.g., #work_team1, #work_team2) with their colors.
  • Sub-tags and Idea Compass directions appear only when selecting a group or parent tag, reducing interface clutter.

If Conoted supports filters, use queries like group:Team1 #work to show only Team 1’s notes with #work_team1 and its sub-tags.

6. Automate Tag and Color Assignment

Leverage Conoted’s AI capabilities to automate tagging and color assignment:

  • AI Suggestions: Conoted’s AI can suggest tags and colors based on note content (e.g., a note mentioning “client meeting” gets #work_team1/meetings in dark red).
  • Rules: Set rules for automatic color assignment (e.g., notes with “urgent” get red tags, notes with “project” get light red tags).

7. Regular Maintenance

Periodically review tags to maintain a clean system:

  • Merge similar sub-tags (e.g., #meetings and #seminars under #work_team1/meetings).
  • Remove unused tags to reduce clutter.
  • Adjust colors if they become confusing or if new groups are added.

Handling Search Across Groups

When searching for a term like #work:

  • Inclusive Search: If Conoted supports partial matching, it retrieves notes with tags containing “work” (e.g., #work_team1, #work_team2, #work_team1/projects). Colors help distinguish groups (red for Team 1, blue for Team 2).
  • Filtered Search: Use group-specific filters (e.g., group:Team1 #work) to narrow results to Team 1’s notes.
  • Visual Cues: Display groups and parent tags with their colors in search results, allowing users to select the desired context before viewing sub-tags.

Avoiding Confusion with Note and Tag Colors

Since Conoted already allows colors for notes, adding colors to tags requires careful design to prevent confusion:

  • Define Roles: Use note colors for status (e.g., red for urgent) and tag colors for categories (e.g., red for #work_team1).
  • Distinct UI: Show note colors as note backgrounds and tag colors as small badges or outlines, as in macOS Finder.
  • Limited Palette: Restrict tag colors to a small set (e.g., 7–10 colors, like macOS) to avoid overwhelming users, while allowing more flexibility for note colors.
  • Accessibility: Add text labels or icons to tags (e.g., a “work” icon for #work_team1) to support colorblind users.

Practical Example

Group: Team 1

  • Parent Tag: #work_team1 (red)
  • Idea Compass Directions:
    • North: #work_team1/ideas (orange)
      • Sub-tags: #work_team1/ideas/automation, #work_team1/ideas/marketing
    • South: #work_team1/projects (light red)
      • Sub-tags: #work_team1/projects/CRM, #work_team1/projects/design
    • East: #work_team1/applications (dark red)
      • Sub-tags: #work_team1/applications/deployment
    • West: #work_team1/resources (gray)
      • Sub-tags: #work_team1/resources/documents

Group: Team 2

  • Parent Tag: #work_team2 (blue)
  • Idea Compass Directions:
    • North: #work_team2/ideas (light blue)
    • South: #work_team2/projects (dark blue)

Search Example:

  • Query: work
  • Result:
    • Groups: “Team 1” (red), “Team 2” (blue)
    • Parent Tags: #work_team1 (red), #work_team2 (blue)
    • Directions (on selection): #work_team1/projects (light red), #work_team1/ideas (orange)
    • Sub-tags (on further selection): #work_team1/projects/CRM (light red)

Note Colors:

  • A note tagged #work_team1/projects/CRM might be green (completed) with a light red tag badge, clearly distinguishing status (note color) from category (tag color).

Conclusion

Structuring information in Conoted with tags, parent tags, the Idea Compass, and colors creates a powerful, intuitive system for managing notes. Parent tags and the Idea Compass provide logical organization, while colors enhance visual navigation, inspired by(macOS’s effective tag system. By assigning unique parent tags to groups, using the Idea Compass for thematic directions, and carefully integrating tag colors with note colors, users can manage large datasets efficiently. Clear roles for note and tag colors, distinct UI elements, and accessibility features prevent confusion, making this approach scalable and user-friendly for both individual and collaborative workflows.