Knowledge forms when we accumulate, mix, connect and visualize information

Khái niệm::
Knowledge forms when we accumulate, mix, connect and visualize information. Indeed we should accumulate facts to generate any insight, this is just a preliminary condition. But what’s next? How we form new knowledge? There are several ways.

First, we can mix structured and unstructured information together in a single view and it can give us new thoughts. Let’s say we create a document where we write some text, include some diagrams, include some charts, etc. For example, we create a feature specification. We write a brief problem description, include several customers’ quotes, include existing solutions from some ideas, add a high-level diagram, include a list of tasks that should be done to complete the feature, include some bugs that will be resolved when this feature will be implemented. Note that we mixed existing information and added something new. This information mix forms new knowledge and potentially can help to generate insights. For example, looking at this mix you can spot a gap between customers’ problems and the solution and get back to specific customers to fetch more details.

Then, we can connect information together using various kinds of links. These connections can lead to new knowledge. For example, you connect all incoming customers’ feedback to Insights. With time it helps to understand what Insights are more important.

Finally, we can visualize structured information using List, Table, Timeline, Calendar, Board, or Chart views. That is how we get the most value from connections since we can view the same information from different angles and play with it. For example, you create a list of features sorted by score (which is calculated of all connected feedback) and discover what feature is the most important now.

Most likely we will get a synergetic effect if all three ways of knowledge formation exist in a single tool. Indeed if you can mix, visualize and connect structured and unstructured information, you have all you need to produce new knowledge and insights.