What it is
Placemat captures cognitive history — the questions asked, the answers that emerged, evidence and annotations that informed them, and decisions and milestones that shaped how the project evolved.
- •Questions, answers, and follow-ups that document your thinking
- •Narrative threads that connect ideas over time
- •Evidence and annotations that ground decisions
- •Decisions and milestones as historical markers
- •Context preservation for long-running projects
What it isn't
Placemat is not a task manager, ticketing system, or CRUD admin interface.
- •Not a task manager with owners and due dates
- •Not a ticketing or issue tracking system
- •Not a database UI for managing records
- •Not a project management tool with Gantt charts
- •Not a collaboration platform focused on real-time chat
How it feels
Placemat provides an editorial, calm experience designed for thoughtful work.
- •Briefing-style organization that surfaces context when you need it
- •Notebook-like flexibility for capturing thoughts and connections
- •Case file structure that preserves the narrative of your work
- •Narrative spine that ties together questions, answers, and decisions
- •Calm navigation that doesn't demand constant attention
Core building blocks
Placemat is built from simple, powerful building blocks that work together to preserve your cognitive history.
Placemat grids & themes
Organize your work into focused grids with themes that group related questions and answers.
Questions, answers, follow-ups
Capture the questions you're asking, document the answers you discover, and follow up with deeper inquiry.
Annotations & evidence
Attach evidence, notes, and annotations to questions and answers to ground your thinking.
Decisions & milestones
Mark decisions and milestones as historical markers that show how your project evolved.
Timelines & narrative spine
View the chronological flow of questions, answers, and decisions that form your project's narrative.
Templates & tagging
Use templates to structure common workflows and tags to organize and find related content.
Attachments
Attach files and links to questions, answers, and decisions to keep everything in context.