The birth of context charting

The birth of context charting

In 2018, Marek Dudáš was earning his PhD studying ontology visualization. He was interested in the power of knowledge graphs to represent complex ideas and relationships, and wondered if some of the same principles could be applied to note taking.

Most note-taking tools at the time were either too rigid or too chaotic. Marek wanted something that could capture relationships between ideas while building an enriched knowledge base over time. This vision ultimately became the foundation of Contextminds.

Just as Marek was developing Contextminds, the launch of ChatGPT introduced the average person to the power of LLMs and generative text. Combining his vision with new AI tools, Marek launched Contextminds in 2022.

After initially using the tool only in academic settings, Marek noticed content writers gravitating towards Contextminds. Over time, these writers were independently coming to similar conclusions about how to best use Contextminds. As he observed, a methodology started to form.

The steps people were using made the most of Contextminds' abilities. The method improved generative AI outputs, kept their research organized, and managed all their work in a single tool. After looking at user data and conducting interviews, Marek defined these steps and named the method “context charting”.

So, while Contextminds and context charting aren’t the same thing, their evolution was intertwined.

Fast forward to 2025. We’ve been listening to our users and one thing is clear: we can do a better job of explaining:

1. Context charting, the method
2. Contextminds, the app
3. The relationship between the two

So…

We’re rolling out new tools to help users take full advantage of everything context charting and Contextminds have to offer.

We’re developing:

• a website dedicated to the context charting method, where we make it clear that context charting is an essential prerequisite for using Contextminds properly
• a webinar to teach users how to context chart
• new video tutorials

Join us and let us know what you think!