The inverted pyramid is a metaphor used by journalists and other writers to illustrate how information should be prioritized and structured.
Important information must be at the beginning, according to the basic idea of the pyramid concept [1]. My idea now is to use this concept for notes as well. The pyramid therefore begins with a title and continues with four logical elements:
Title
- Clear and descriptive.
Lead
- Lead paragraph (1-3 sentences) with most essential info.
- Focused on 5W+1H: who, what, when, where, why + how.
Body
- Main details.
Tail
- Background info or other supporting content.
Back matter
- Source, tasks, questions, terms and references.
The benefit from this inverted pyramid: You can stop reading at any time. Working with notes in my Zettelkasten becomes easier. The ideas are easier to grasp and to connect with other thoughts.
A similar concept is also known as Progressive Summarization by Tiago Forte [2] to make “what I’m consuming right now easily discoverable for my future self.”
What is your concept for making good notes?
References
[1] Minto, Barbara. The pyramid principle: logic in writing and thinking. Rev. ed, Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2009.
[2] Forte, Tiago. ‘Progressive Summarization: A Practical Technique for Designing Discoverable Notes’. Forte Labs, 27 December 2017. https://fortelabs.com/blog/progressive-summarization-a-practical-technique-for-designing-discoverable-notes/.