sylys is a thinking environment designed to help you understand, develop, and preserve complex ideas over time - a cohering second brain for your big ideas.
"The capacity of the human mind to process information is limited by the number of connections it can maintain simultaneously..."
I found 3 papers on cognitive load in spatial interfaces. Add them?
If we reduce visual clutter, we free up processing power for synthesis. This is why "Infinite Canvas" tools feel overwhelming at first—lack of constraints.
"Design systems that match human cognitive capabilities lead to better user experiences..."
Revealing information gradually helps manage cognitive load. Users should only see what they need.
Design should match users' existing mental models rather than forcing them to learn new paradigms.
Time it takes to make a decision...
Focusing on one visual stimulus...
Based on source quality and cross-referencing
Add reference to Miller (1956) for cognitive load discussion
Figure 1: sylys v0.4 Spatial Interface
sylys is designed to contextualize your thoughts through relationships, revision, and reflection, helping you form the kind of understanding that allows you to see the trees and the forest.
Ideas don’t stand alone. Sylys connects notes, claims, and sources into a living network you can inspect and trust.
Mature beyond linear thinking. Arrange ideas spatially to reveal patterns, gaps, and tension as they form.
AI understands context, where ideas live and how they relate. Suggestions are grounded in the foundation you lay.
An AI that reads your library. Ask it to summarize, synthesize, or find contradictions across sources.
Stop hoarding notes. Capture freely. Edit easily. Refactor continuously.
Connect the dots in your thinking without drowning in disjointed clutter.
Bring in PDFs, links, notes, transcripts, and drafts. Sylys breaks information into structured components while preserving original context and sources.
Think in relationships, not files.
Think spatially. Drag nodes together and watch AI Surface connections, contradictions, and missing context. AI drafts & organizes, you inspect & approve.
Clarity comes when you contextualize your thinking.
Publish when you decide meaning has stabilized. Export writing, reports, presentations, or artifacts without severing them from their intellectual lineage.
Outputs are temporary. Understanding is preserved.
Here's everything we can share about sylys to date: