Craft for Structured Thinking and Publishing: Documents, Databases, Workflows, and Publishing as a Knowledge Hub

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For years, professionals have struggled with two extremes: word processors that feel too rigid and note apps that are too chaotic. Craft sits in the middle. It combines the fluidity of connected blocks with the polish of documents you can confidently share. Used well, it becomes more than a writing app—it’s a structured thinking and publishing hub for individuals and small teams. This guide gives you a production-ready system: vault architecture, blocks and cards, databases, workflows for projects and publishing, collaboration patterns, and a 14-day rollout plan.

Why Craft (and where it wins)

  • Block-based editing: every paragraph, heading, checklist, or media embed is a block—movable, linkable, nestable.
  • Cards & backlinks: turn any block into a reusable card and reference it across documents.
  • Design polish: documents look like they’re ready for clients, partners, or leadership—no exporting gymnastics.
  • Publishing built-in: share pages with a public link, styled and mobile-ready, or export to PDF.
  • Cross-platform: native apps for macOS, iOS, Windows, and Web, all offline-first.
  • Structured thinking: databases and collections turn scattered notes into navigable hubs.

Craft is the sweet spot for knowledge workers who need flexible thinking and polished publishing—product managers, marketers, consultants, educators, and content creators.

The mental model: Blocks → Documents → Spaces

Craft organizes your knowledge at three levels:

  • Blocks: atomic units of text, checklist items, embeds, tables, or media. Blocks can be turned into cards or linked across documents.
  • Documents: collections of blocks, like notes, briefs, or reports. Each doc has properties (date, tags, author) and can live inside folders or collections.
  • Spaces: top-level containers, like “Work,” “Personal,” or “Shared with Team.” Each space can have permissions, themes, and publishing settings.

Think: Blocks are LEGO bricks → Documents are builds → Spaces are houses.

Folder and space architecture that scales

Keep your setup boring. A suggested map:

Work Space
  /Inbox
  /Projects
    - Project A
    - Project B
  /Meetings
  /Knowledge
    - Strategy
    - Processes
    - Reference
  /Content
    - Editorial Calendar
    - Drafts
    - Published
Personal Space
  /Daily Notes
  /Learning
  /Ideas
Shared Space (Team)
  /Handbook
  /Onboarding
  /Templates

Tips:

  • Use /Inbox for quick capture; clear weekly.
  • Keep Projects in active folders, archive when closed.
  • Place durable knowledge in Knowledge, with tags and backlinks.
  • Use Shared Spaces for collaboration; keep sensitive notes in private Spaces.

Blocks, cards, and links: structured building

  • Turn blocks into cards: any block can be converted into a “card,” which has its own sub-page. Example: turn a task into a card, then expand it for details.
  • Backlinks: when you mention @Project A in any document, Craft auto-links to the source. Build a web of related ideas without copy-paste.
  • Embeds: insert images, videos, code snippets, Figma/YouTube links, or even live tables.
  • Block types to master: headings (H1/H2/H3), toggles (collapse notes), checklists (action tracking), callouts (highlighted blocks), and tables.

Think of cards as reusable mini-documents that can be embedded in multiple contexts.

Properties and databases (Craft’s “structured” layer)

Every document can have properties—metadata that turns scattered docs into a database. Suggested property set:

  • Status (Idea, Draft, Review, Published, Archived)
  • Type (Meeting, Project, Article, Process, Decision)
  • Owner (person responsible)
  • Date (meeting date, publish date, decision date)
  • Tags (topics, clients, products)

With consistent properties, you can build Collections (database-like views):

  • Editorial Calendar: filter Type = Article, sort by Date, group by Status.
  • Project Tracker: filter Type = Project, show Status, Owner, Milestones.
  • Decision Log: filter Type = Decision, show Date, Outcome, Links.
  • Meeting Index: filter Type = Meeting, grouped by Project.

Collections = Notion-lite databases, but faster and simpler.

Workflows that scale with Craft

1. Project management

  • Create a Project Home doc with properties (Owner, Status, Target Date).
  • Sections: Outcomes, Scope, Risks, Links, Milestones.
  • Each milestone becomes a card with its own page (tasks, notes, assets).
  • Backlink related meeting notes and decisions.

2. Meeting management

  • Use a Meeting template (Agenda, Notes, Decisions, Actions).
  • Tag each note with Type: Meeting, Project: X.
  • Craft automatically aggregates in your Meeting Collection.
  • Decisions go in a separate section with backlinks to the Decision Log.

3. Content publishing

  • Editorial Calendar = Collection filtered by Type: Article.
  • Each draft is a document with sections (Outline, Draft, Review, Final).
  • Properties track Status (Draft → Review → Published).
  • Use Craft Publish to share public versions, or export to PDF.
  • Embed published links in newsletters, Notion, or Slack.

4. Personal knowledge management (PKM)

  • Daily notes for journaling, tasks, ideas.
  • Learning notes with backlinks to projects.
  • Evergreen notes in Knowledge with tags for topics.
  • Monthly review doc pulling in highlights from Daily/Projects.

Templates: save keystrokes and ensure consistency

Project Template

# Project Title
Status:: Planned
Owner:: @Name
Target:: YYYY-MM-DD

## Outcome
...

## Scope
...

## Milestones
- [ ] M1 —
- [ ] M2 —

## Links
- Brief:
- Design:
- Metrics:

## Risks
...

Meeting Template

# YYYY-MM-DD — Meeting with @Person
Type:: Meeting
Project:: [[Project Name]]

## Agenda
- 

## Notes
- 

## Decisions
- 

## Actions
- [ ] Task — @Owner (due: YYYY-MM-DD)

Content Template

# Article Title
Type:: Article
Status:: Draft
Owner:: @Author
Publish Date:: YYYY-MM-DD

## Outline
...

## Draft
...

## Review Notes
...

## Final Copy
...

Collaboration patterns

  • Shared Spaces: create one per team/function (e.g., “Marketing Hub”).
  • Permissions: Editors for core team, Viewers for stakeholders.
  • Comments & mentions: inline comments on blocks; @Name for pings.
  • Publishing: public links with password protection; embed in websites/newsletters.
  • Version history: Craft keeps snapshots; restore if needed.
  • Onboarding: new teammates get a quick tour—Templates, Collections, Project Home.

Craft Publish as a knowledge hub

Craft’s publishing feature turns internal docs into public-facing resources with a click:

  • Client portals: share a polished project page with scope, milestones, and decisions.
  • Internal handbooks: publish the company handbook with version control.
  • Resource hubs: export articles/tutorials to a clean, responsive site.
  • Microsites: string together documents with navigation for a lightweight site.

Polish tips:

  • Use callouts and images for visual balance.
  • Add a navigation section at the top with backlinks.
  • Keep titles consistent across docs.
  • For larger hubs, publish a parent doc with links to child pages.

Automations and integrations

  • Calendar integration: embed Google Calendar view for deadlines.
  • Slack/Teams: paste doc links; Craft unfurls previews.
  • Zapier/Make: auto-create Craft docs from form submissions (e.g., blog requests).
  • API & Shortcuts: trigger templates from iOS Shortcuts or macOS Automations.
  • Export: PDF, Markdown, or Word for external partners who can’t access Craft.

Reviews and rituals

Daily (5–10 min)

  • Capture into Inbox.
  • Tag and move to correct folder.
  • Check Today view in Editorial/Project collections.

Weekly (30 min)

  • Review Projects → update Status.
  • Process Inbox fully.
  • Check Decision Log → ensure completeness.
  • Plan content calendar.

Monthly (45–60 min)

  • Archive closed projects.
  • Promote 2–3 evergreen notes into Knowledge.
  • Prune outdated docs.
  • Refresh onboarding and handbook pages.

A 14-day rollout plan

Day 1–2 — Spaces & Folders
Set up Work, Personal, Shared. Create Inbox, Projects, Meetings, Knowledge, Content.

Day 3–4 — Templates
Build Project, Meeting, and Content templates. Place in _templates.

Day 5–6 — Properties
Standardize Status, Type, Owner, Date, Tags. Add to templates.

Day 7 — Collections
Create Editorial Calendar, Project Tracker, Decision Log, Meeting Index.

Day 8–9 — Pilot workflows
Run one project and two meetings fully in Craft. Use backlinks, properties, collections.

Day 10–11 — Publish
Test Craft Publish: share one client-ready page and one internal hub.

Day 12 — Integrations
Connect Slack, Calendar, and set up one automation (form → doc).

Day 13 — Weekly review
Run the first full weekly review using collections.

Day 14 — Tune & lock
Prune unused tags; finalize the starter templates; onboard teammates.

Common pitfalls (and fixes)

  • Folder sprawl: don’t create a folder for every idea—use tags/properties instead.
  • Template drift: enforce template use with hotkeys; review weekly.
  • Tag soup: cap at 20 tags; consolidate duplicates.
  • Over-publishing: publish only polished docs; keep scratch notes private.
  • No metadata discipline: dashboards fail without consistent properties. Review in weekly ritual.

Final thoughts

Craft shines when you use it as both thinking canvas and publishing hub. Keep your vault simple: blocks and cards for atomic notes, documents for context, collections for structure, templates for speed, and publishing for polish. With daily capture, weekly reviews, and a handful of conventions, you’ll stop drowning in half-finished docs and start running a knowledge system that produces—and publishes—outcomes people actually trust.

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