Andy Matuschak: Designing Education

Podcast with David Perell

Developing ideas over time

Good knowledge work is the ability to absorb and develop ideas over time.

But there is no good way to do reflective work for knowledge workers. Should learn through deliberate practice. No set and agreed knowledge to be learned, no objective measures of correctness, no an established teaching practice.

Poor feedback loops for reading skills, not obvious that you aren’t absorbing.

How to get new and interesting ideas in front of yourself. Design for weird inbounds.

How do you structure a note taking system that gives life to ideas?

Collect small observations. Evergreen notes are atomic, durable.

It’s a search problem, and success depends on where you start.

Can’t right notes that are about a specific topic or solve a specifc problem.

React to impulses and whatever interests you.

Write for specific people.

Affordances transparently suggest an objects use and constraints.

Profound design shapes your perception in ways you may not even be aware of.

Visible design for safety. Undo where possible.