Welcome to Instances
Find what you need effortlessly and get things done!
Today I’m publishing my latest solo project. I have this habit of beginning a side project and completely losing interest over time. Or by starting a new one. I realized recently that it is because it’s all connected to finding out what I really want.
https://instances.framer.website/
What?
I had always wanted to do this, but I was skeptical of whether anyone else would care about it. After all, it was a topic that I was passionate about, but I wasn't sure if anyone else shared my interest. But I’m just going to do it. Because I’m not building this project with any monetization plan. I’m just doing it for my own sake only.
The idea is simple - a free and open resource library!
I know a lot (a lot means a lot!) of platforms in different industries and niches, and I save the platforms I like. Often I share some of these with the people I work with or in my circle - only if they ask.
By reading this much you may wonder, “A simple Google search is enough, right?”
Yeah, it is enough - but only for those people who prefer that way. There are a lot of people out there who don't want to find out things by a Google search. They always ask around and then explore, because they are not exposed to tools like this (the main reason is it can be overwhelming). Everyone's topic of interest and the use cases are different. This is why I’m trying to classify everything accordingly.
For eg; if someone wants to write, maybe it is their thoughts, mostly private. So I usually see people just go to Notion or Coda or something like that. But that is not what they are truly seeking1, because there are a lot of features inside these platforms that often create more problems and then feel lost or overwhelmed.
I’m just saying that to get the work done without wasting any resources or time, we need the right tools. Sure a plier can loosen a screw but the spanner will do the job more precisely. You get what I’m talking2 about right?
Why?
I sign up or play around with a lot of new platforms daily. I guess this is how I learned more about design and product development. I’m always curious about how this is going to help me or how I can do something (much better sometimes maybe).
So I thought why just make a publicly available resource library without any distraction? Information should be free and easily accessible.
Yes, some might think “Oh great another information overload”. Yeah, this project I built with that in my mind. The main problem I’m facing in my online life is the “so-called byte size information”. At first, I was like, “Yes, I’m going to do this” and then tap “save for later” or bookmark. After this point, the chances of I’m returning to it are very very low due to the procrastination we all have.
Even if I wanted to return, the “saved for later” section is now full of materials like this, and finding out what I want is now a double task.
I tried to do this multiple times earlier, in the form of a notion doc, a substack publication, a casual blog, videos, etc. But whenever I begin, my mind will tell me that it is not the time or this is not the right way. And then I feel overwhelmed with all this information at hand. So archive everything instantly.
I was thinking about what I can do with a framer website. That idea really sparked and I started to work immediately. But after a point, I realized that there was a lot of data at stake and it is not easy to run this on a free plan. And if I proceed it is going to cost me. So I temporarily paused.
At a point when I was on the edge of deciding to abandon the project, I remembered a platform similar to Obsidian and the capability to share the doc within a free plan - Capacities. So restarted again. After unloading a set of data into that platform, I clicked on that graph view and really stunned. I know these are all just links, but to me, it’s more than that. It’s like when someone asks about something, I can see how my mind works!
Consider a physical library
I remember those days when I completely read every book I rented from a library. Because I’m choosing a book with my preference and the intention to read. Most importantly I know that a library is organized perfectly so that I can go straight towards that block. And all these blocks are divided in such a way that we can find out what we need at the moment. This is where I got my idea!
Why I’m calling it an Instance?
The same concept as the above. I can show you a simple example.
Here you can see the divisions. Because “Write” means anything. It is just a Block. What you want to write is important. They are called Dividers. And when you select a divider you can see the Instances3. In some cases, most of the instances are the same but at the same time different. So from here, you can scrutinize the platforms according to your liking. Completely your choice.
I chose multiple platforms for writing. For simple things, I use sticky notes from OneNote. Sometimes I use Google Keep when I’m on my phone. When it is thinking out loud, I prefer to go offline, so Obsidian. Coda and Notions are for the portfolio and other docs. Use cases and individual styles are different. That is one of the core reasons behind this project.
https://youtube.com/shorts/KuRr27bNDjw
Who?
This platform is for anyone who wants to explore. Find what you need effortlessly and get things done! That is all that matters.
Conclusion
This is a work in progress, which means, it will never finish and I’ll iterate as needed.
Building this platform was not a walk in the park, some might see it that way. But you know, you have to do something to really understand the work behind it.
I’m thanking the Framer and Capacity teams for making this happen - without even knowing! :D. If there were no free plan, I really wouldn't have started this now.
I understood something about myself while doing this project. When I feel tired while building the site, I work on classification, and when that gets tiresome, I work on the blog and other details, and it goes like this. Just doing it. I stopped caring for that “perfection”.
Some might wonder here, am I the one who decides what they want? No, I was just expressing an opinion about my observation and the final results.
A spanner is better for loosening screws. Pliers might slip and damage the screw.
Google AI definition: An instance is a case or occurrence of anything.