The system is built on five universal UI components:
core set of five modular, non-redundant "meta-components" that adapt their form and function across all modes and change their density and functionality depending on the mode you are in.. This ensures consistency while allowing each mode to feel distinct and purpose-built.
1. The Block (The Atom) ⚛️
The Block is the fundamental, universal building block for everything in the system. It's the "atom" of information. A node can be anything: a paragraph of text, an image, a task, a contact, a bookmark, or a data point. The Block (The "Atom" 🧱): This is the fundamental unit of information in the entire system. A task, a paragraph of text, a note, a calendar event, an email, or an image is simply a "Block." Each Block has properties like status, date, tags, and content.
- Architect Mode: Nodes are used freely on the Canvas to build models and connect ideas. They appear as flexible blocks you can resize, group, and link, similar to objects in Figma or Miro. The focus is on spatial relationships.
- Pilot Mode: The same Nodes are viewed within a Stream. They appear as structured items in a list, like an email in an inbox or a task on a board. The focus is on status and action.
- Observatory Mode: Nodes are visualized as points of data, contributing to the overall system health score.
2. The Dynamic Board 📊
The Container (The "Molecule" 📦): Blocks are always held within a Container. A project, a journal, your inbox, or a knowledge base are all Containers. They are essentially smart folders or databases for your Blocks.
The Stream is a dynamic, filterable view of multiple Nodes. It's the component for managing things that have a sequence or a status.
- Architect Mode: A Stream is used to organize complex projects, appearing as a Kanban board, timeline, or outline to structure the output of deep work. It helps organize the blueprint.
- Pilot Mode: The Stream is the dominant UI. It functions as the unified inbox, the daily task list, and the social media feed. It's designed for rapid triage, processing, and clearing.
This component is for organizing structured items like tasks and objectives. It can fluidly switch between a list, Kanban, or timeline view.
- In Architect Mode: The board is a strategic, high-level map. You use it to set quarterly OKRs or lay out the multi-month timeline for a major project. It shows the big picture.
- In Pilot Mode: The board transforms into a focused, tactical to-do list. It automatically filters to show only "Today's Tasks" or the "Next Step" in a project, hiding the long-term view to minimize cognitive load and encourage immediate action.
- In Monitor Mode: The board's data is abstracted into a performance metric, such as a velocity chart or a progress bar, contributing to your overall Synarchy Score.
- The View (The "Lens" 🔭): This is the most critical component for flexibility. Any Container of Blocks can be instantly rendered through different lenses. This avoids redundant interfaces. The primary views are:
- Document View: For writing and reading (like Notion).
- Board View: For tracking workflows (like Trello).
- List View: For quick triage and checklists.
- Calendar View: For scheduling and time-blocking.
- Graph View: For connecting ideas and seeing relationships.
3. The Unified Feed 📥
This component aggregates all incoming information streams—emails, messages, social media, and system notifications.
- In Architect Mode: The feed is minimal or hidden by default. Its purpose is to serve as a research tool (The Athenaeum), pulling in specific, requested information rather than pushing interruptions.
- In Pilot Mode: The feed is front and center as your Unified Inbox (The Marketplace). The UI is optimized for rapid triage: reply, delegate, snooze, or link to a task in your Dynamic Board with a single click.
- In Monitor Mode: The feed’s activity (volume, response time) is visualized as a health metric, indicating your level of distraction or responsiveness.
4. The Command Bar (The Helm) 舵
The Command Bar is a universal, text-based interface that is always accessible (e.g., with Cmd+K). It serves as the primary method of navigation, creation, and delegation. The Command Bar (The "Conductor" ⚡): A universal, always-accessible input for searching, creating new Blocks, executing commands, and directing the AI Co-Pilot.
- In Architect Mode: The command bar is used for deep, Socratic dialogue. Prompts are complex and strategic: "Help me critique this business plan," or "Synthesize these articles into a new thesis." Architect Mode: Used to quickly find and place specific blocks onto the Canvas or to create new blueprints from templates.
- In Pilot Mode: The command bar is used for fast, imperative commands. Prompts are short and tactical: "Draft a reply to this email," "What is my next priority?" or "Clear my calendar this afternoon." Used to issue high-level directives to the AI Co-Pilot ("summarize my priority emails," "schedule this task for tomorrow"), search for information, and quickly navigate between streams. This is the main tool for "piloting."
- In Monitor Mode: The command bar is used for holistic inquiry: "Show me the friction points between my daily actions and my quarterly goals," or "What is my system's overall Synarchy Score?"
The Universal Canvas 📄
The Canvas is the primary container or workspace. It's the "space" where work happens. Its appearance changes dramatically based on the user's intent. This is the fundamental component for creating and viewing unstructured content. It’s a flexible, block-based editor.
- In Architect Mode (The Foundry): The canvas is expansive and tool-rich. It’s your primary workspace for building blueprints, synthesizing knowledge in a mind map, or engaging in long-form writing. It favors depth and complexity. It prioritizes freedom and creativity.
- In Pilot Mode (The Cockpit): The canvas becomes a compact, read-only preview. When attached to a task or email, it gives you just enough context to act without pulling you into deep editing. It favors speed and reference. focused "pane" or "document view." It's used for writing a memo, viewing a single task's details, or responding to a message. It prioritizes clarity and execution.
- In Monitor Mode (The Observatory): A canvas appears as a single node in a larger system map, visualizing its health and its connections to other projects or goals.
## How the Components Adapt Across Modes
The components remain the same, but their visual salience (appearance and prominence) changes to support the user's mindset.
## In Architect Mode (Low Density, High Focus)
The interface is expansive, calm, and focused on deep creation.
- Canvas: Becomes an infinite, open Canvas for mind-mapping and world-building.
- Blocks & Views: You primarily use the Document View for writing and the Graph View for synthesizing knowledge. Blocks are rich text objects with full editing controls.
- Command Bar: Remains minimal and out of the way, used mostly to search for and link existing knowledge Blocks.
## In Pilot Mode (High Density, High Action)
The interface is dense, data-rich, and built for rapid execution.
- Canvas: Becomes a structured Dashboard grid, displaying multiple "Views" at once as widgets.
- Blocks & Views: You primarily use the List View for your unified inbox and the Board and Calendar Views for managing tasks. Blocks are compact, showing only key data (status, deadline) and quick action buttons (complete, delegate).
- Command Bar: Becomes the central point of interaction. It is prominent and always ready for quick commands like "email contact X about project Y" or "schedule meeting Z for tomorrow."
## In Observatory Mode (Meta-View)
This mode primarily uses the Canvas as a meta-dashboard to display diagnostic visualizations—like the "infinity loop." It pulls data from all your Blocks and Containers to give you a high-level view of your system's health, using the same underlying components to provide insight rather than action.