Spaces & Location System

The Wisdom of Forest Metaphor 🌲

MononoMori uses a beautiful forest metaphor to help you intuitively understand the hierarchical structure of item organization. This isn’t just for aesthetics—it makes complex item organization simple, intuitive, and emotionally meaningful.

Metaphor Mapping

🏠 Real World          🌲 MononoMori
Rooms/Areas       →    Spaces (Woodlands)     
Storage Containers →   Locations (Trees)  
Physical Items    →    Forest Fruits (Items) 

Spaces (Woodlands) Deep Dive

The Nature of Spaces

Spaces are the foundational units of your digital forest. They’re not just containers—they’re living domains with unique character and meaning in your life.

Three Core Functions of Spaces:

1. Boundary Definition: Clearly separate different life domains
2. Context Creation: Provide meaningful context for your belongings
3. Cognitive Anchoring: Serve as mental landmarks for quick recall

Space Organization Strategies

🏠 Physical Area Division (Beginner Recommended)

• Master Bedroom, Guest Room, Kids’ Room
• Kitchen, Dining Room, Living Room, Balcony
• Home Office/Study Area, Workspace
• Bathroom, Laundry Room, Storage Room
• Garage, Basement, Attic

🎯 Functional Need Division (Advanced Users)

• Daily Living Essentials Zone
• Work & Study Dedicated Area
• Sports & Fitness Equipment Zone
• Entertainment & Leisure Items Zone
• Seasonal Items Warehouse

✨ Usage Frequency Division (Efficiency Focus)

• 🔥 High-Frequency Zone (daily essentials)
• 🔄 Medium-Frequency Zone (weekly use)
• 📦 Low-Frequency Storage (occasional access)
• 🎁 Memorial Collection Zone (emotional value)

Advanced Space Management

Pinning System:

• Set most-used spaces as pinned
• Pinned spaces appear first in all lists
• Support multiple pinned spaces simultaneously

Custom Sorting:

• Drag-and-drop sorting functionality
• Arrange spaces by personal preferences
• Independent sorting within pinned spaces
• Sort settings permanently saved

Visual Management:

• Space size in Forest Map reflects item quantity
• 12 beautiful colors and 100+ icon choices
• Support for emoji and custom names

Locations (Trees) Detailed Management

The Deep Value of Locations

Locations aren’t just containers—they carry our wisdom about spatial organization and our understanding of item storage logic.

Multi-Level Location Architecture

MononoMori supports unlimited hierarchical nesting:

🍳 Kitchen Space
├── 🧊 Counter Area
│   ├── Upper Right Cabinet
│   │   ├── First Shelf (Spices)
│   │   └── Second Shelf (Beans & Grains)
│   └── Lower Cabinet
│       ├── Left Section (Cleaning Supplies)
│       └── Right Section (Kitchen Utensils)
└── 🍽️ Dinnerware Storage Area
    ├── Upper Cabinet
    └── Lower Cabinet

Common Location Types & Naming Conventions

Furniture-Based Storage:

• 🗄 Drawers: “Bedside Table First Drawer”, “Desk Upper Left Drawer”
• 🗄 Cabinets: “Wardrobe Upper Shelf”, “Shoe Cabinet Second Level”
• 🗄 Shelving: “Bookshelf Third Level Right”, “Storage Shelf Top”

Container-Based Storage:

• 📦 Storage Boxes: “Blue Clear Box (Cable Organizer)”
• 📦 Product Boxes: “AJ1 Shoe Box (Collectible Cards)”
• 📦 Storage Bags: “Vacuum Bag (Winter Clothes)”

Special Storage:

• ❄️ Refrigerator: “Upper Fridge Compartment”, “Freezer Second Drawer”
• 🚗 Vehicle: “Trunk Left Area”, “Glove Compartment”
• 💻 Workspace: “Desktop Upper Right”, “Keyboard Tray”

Location Naming Best Practices

Location Information Principles:

• ✅ Include Direction: “Wardrobe Left Upper Section” not “Wardrobe”
• ✅ Specify Level: “Bookshelf Third Shelf” not “Bookshelf”
• ✅ Note Purpose: “Blue Box (Cables)” not “Blue Box”

Memory-Friendly Principles:

• 🎨 Color Identification: “Red Toolbox”, “White Medicine Box”
• 📍 Feature Description: “Round Aromatherapy Box”, “Rectangular Storage Box”
• 🏷️ Brand Names: “IKEA Drawer Box”, “MUJI Storage Container”

Items and Location Relationships

Multiple Dimensions of Item Existence

In MononoMori, every item is more than a simple database entry—it carries:

• Functional Value: The item’s utility and purpose
• Emotional Value: Memories and emotional connections
• Temporal Value: History and future plans
• Social Value: Meaning within family and social contexts

Three-Dimensional Item Positioning

Every item in MononoMori has clear three-dimensional coordinates:

1. Space Dimension: Which space it belongs to
2. Location Dimension: Which container/location it’s in
3. Attribute Dimension: What tags and characteristics it has

Intelligent Item Movement

• Cross-Space Movement: Move from any location to any other location
• Batch Movement: Select multiple items for simultaneous movement
• Smart Recommendations: Suggest suitable target locations based on item type
• Movement History: Track item movement paths with undo support

Advanced Organizational Philosophy

Forest Ecosystem Thinking

MononoMori isn’t just a storage system—it’s a living ecosystem:

• Growth: Spaces and locations evolve over time
• Adaptation: System automatically optimizes based on usage patterns
• Interaction: Different spaces and locations have relationships and interactions
• Healing: The entire system provides peaceful, therapeutic experiences

Cross-Level Flexible Organization

While maintaining clear hierarchical structure, MononoMori provides multiple flexible organizational methods:

Tag System:

• Horizontal classification across spaces and locations
• Support multiple tag combinations and compound filtering
• Dynamic tag clouds and intelligent recommendations

Search System:

• Global search breaks through hierarchical limitations
• Semantic search and fuzzy matching
• Search history and favorites functionality

View System:

• Forest Map mode for visual organization
• Space List mode for efficient management
• Custom sorting and personalized filtering

Experience Design Philosophy

Japanese Aesthetic Expression

“Yuruukawa” (ゆるかわ) Aesthetics:

• Gentle, relaxing interface design
• Rounded corners and soft color palettes
• Reduces user anxiety and stress

“Wabi-Sabi” (侘寂) Philosophy:

• Accepting imperfection and change
• Cherishing traces of time and value of memory
• Finding beauty in simplicity

Emotional Design

Connection Between Items and Memory:

• Memory Forest system provides ceremonial farewell
• Custom farewell reasons for personal farewell poetry
• Stardust animations and permanent memorial spaces

Growth and Change:

• Spaces and locations adjust with life changes
• Item lifecycle management: acquisition → use → farewell
• Every item has its story and journey

System Analysis: Strengths and Limitations

Architectural Advantages

• Intuitiveness: Forest metaphor naturally aligns with human spatial cognition
• Scalability: Supports unlimited hierarchical nesting and flexible adjustment
• Therapeutic Value: Warm visual and emotional value reduces management stress
• Intelligence: Multi-level intelligent recommendations and automation features

Limitations and Solutions

Initial Learning Curve:

• New users may need time to adapt to forest metaphor
• Solution: Provide progressive onboarding guidance and rich documentation

Complex Space Hierarchy Management:

• Large spaces with multi-level structures can be complex
• Solution: Forest Map visualization and intelligent navigation system

Cross-Platform Sync:

• Currently only supports manual import/export
• Solution: Complete data import/export functionality and cloud sync planning

Mastering the Space and Location system gives you the complete framework and deep wisdom for building your personal digital forest! 🌲✨