Quartz 4

Physical Notes Processing Workflow

4 min read

📋 Physical Notes Processing Workflow

Overview

Systematic process for analyzing physical note images and organizing extracted tasks and ideas into the appropriate project structure.

🔄 Step-by-Step Process

1. Initial Analysis

Input: Images of handwritten notes Actions:

  • Analyze each image for:
    • Page numbers (if visible)
    • Dates (written on pages)
    • Project references (keywords like “bumble”, “star-sailors”, etc.)
    • Sketch types (workflows, diagrams, UI mockups)
    • Color coding systems
    • Task lists or action items
    • Ideas and concepts

2. Create Physical Notes File

Location: content/Physical-Notes/YYYY-MM-DD.md Template:

---
title: Physical Notes - [Date]
date: YYYY-MM-DD
tags:
  - physical-notes
  - daily
  - sketches
---
 
# 📝 Physical Notes - [Date]
 
## Page [X] - [Title/Topic]
 
**Date on page:** [if different from analysis date]
**Analysis Date:** YYYY-MM-DD  
**Project:** [[Projects/[Project]/index|[Project Name]]]
 
### Overview
[Brief description of the content]
 
### Key Elements
[Detailed breakdown of sketches, diagrams, notes]
 
### Implementation Notes
[Technical insights, architecture notes, etc.]
 
### Related Tasks
Tasks moved to: [[path/to/task/file.md]]

3. Extract and Categorize Tasks

Categorization Rules:

  • Project-specific tasks → Move to relevant project directories
  • Cross-project/system tasks → Move to _System/Documentation/
  • General tasks → Keep in dashboard inbox for routing

Task Format:

- [ ] [Priority] Task description #project #category #page-X #physical-notes

Priority Markers:

  • ⏫ High priority (#p1)
  • 🔼 Medium priority (#p2-p3)
  • 🔽 Low priority (#p4-p5)

4. Create/Update Project Task Files

Naming Convention: [project-name]-[topic].md Location: Projects/[Project]/[Subdirectory]/

Template:

---
title: [Project] [Topic]
date: YYYY-MM-DD
tags:
  - [project-tag]
  - [category-tags]
source: "Physical Notes Page X (YYYY-MM-DD)"
---
 
# [Project Icon] [Project] [Topic]
 
**Source:** [[Physical-Notes/YYYY-MM-DD#page-x---title|Physical Notes Page X]]
**Original Date:** [date on page if different]
**Analysis Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
 
## Tasks
 
### High Priority
- [ ] ⏫ Task #project #category #p1 #page-X
 
### Medium Priority  
- [ ] 🔼 Task #project #category #p2 #page-X
 
### Standard Priority
- [ ] Task #project #category #page-X
 
## [Additional sections as needed]
- Architecture Overview
- Implementation Strategy
- Notes

5. Update Dashboard

Actions:

  • Remove duplicate tasks from “Ideas & Brainstorming” section
  • Remove moved tasks from “Quick Task Inbox”
  • Add reference to physical notes in “Ideas & Brainstorming”: **Physical Notes:** See [[Physical-Notes/YYYY-MM-DD|Today's Physical Notes]] - Tasks moved to project files
  • Ensure “Today’s Physical Notes” section shows current date’s notes

6. Establish Cross-References

Required Links:

  • Physical notes → Project task files
  • Project task files → Physical notes (source attribution)
  • Dashboard → Physical notes file
  • Tasks tagged with page numbers (#page-X)

🏷️ Tagging System

Required Tags

  • #physical-notes - All tasks derived from physical notes
  • #page-X - Specific page reference where X is page number
  • #[project-name] - Project association (bumble, star-sailors, etc.)
  • #p1, #p2, etc. - Priority levels

Project Detection Keywords

Auto-routing triggers:

  • bumble, bee, pollinator → Bumble project
  • star-sailors, telescope, satellite → Star Sailors project
  • station, station-198 → Station 198 project
  • design-system, cross-project → System documentation

📁 Directory Structure

Physical-Notes/
├── YYYY-MM-DD.md (analysis file)
├── [image files]

Projects/
├── Bumble/
│   ├── Backend/
│   ├── [other subdirs]/
├── Star-Sailors/
│   ├── [subdirs]/
├── Station-98/
│   ├── [subdirs]/

_System/
├── Documentation/
│   ├── design-system.md
│   ├── [other cross-project docs]
├── Scripts/
│   ├── physical-notes-processing-workflow.md (this file)

✅ Quality Checklist

Before Completion

  • Physical notes file created with proper frontmatter
  • All tasks extracted and categorized
  • Project-specific tasks moved to appropriate files
  • Cross-references established (bidirectional links)
  • Page numbers tagged on all relevant tasks
  • Dashboard updated (duplicates removed, references added)
  • Proper priority markers applied
  • Project keywords tagged for auto-routing

Verification

  • Dashboard shows today’s physical notes section
  • No duplicate tasks between dashboard and project files
  • All task files reference source physical notes
  • Physical notes file links to destination task files
  • Tags are consistent and complete

🔧 Automation Opportunities

Future Improvements

  • Template automation for physical notes files
  • Automatic task routing based on keywords
  • Image OCR integration for text extraction
  • Automated cross-reference generation

📝 Notes

  • Always preserve original page numbers and dates
  • Maintain traceability between physical and digital
  • Use consistent naming conventions
  • Keep dashboard clean by moving tasks to appropriate locations
  • Establish clear project ownership for all tasks

Graph View