Show HN: GYST – Digital organizer that replicates the feeling of a physical desk

[ricroz]

Hi HN! I’ve been working on a tool that merges file explorer, whiteboard, bookmarking, note-taking & simple graphic design into one lightweight interface.

The idea is to make all these tools feel like one fluid space instead of 5 separate tools. The hope is to replicate the feeling of a physical desk : where order and freedom coexist.

This 15-min video walks through the current alpha and the vision for the full product : https://youtu.be/AcWzuBBuiPM

I’d love your feedback — especially around the concept and UX. The alpha is online if you want to try it: https://gyst.fr

This is a solo project for now, inspired by the “second brain” / PKM movement and my own frustration with fragmented tools and outdated UX.

[Glant]

Just a note, I almost immediately closed your site after opening because on my phone all I see when it first opens is a sign up form. I did end up scrolling and seeing the content, but I'd recommend dropping that form either off the front page or at least below the description of what your product is.

[calmworm]

I saw the same, then scrolled and saw an embedded youtube video asking me to “sign in to prove i’m not a bot”… I did close the site. I recommend moving the sign up form below some more helpful/descriptive content.

[ricroz]

Thanks for the feedback ! Wow I didn’t know that would be such a turn off. Ill take it off then. Description first. Thanks for checking it out anyway.

[daear]

Very nice. The site is down at the moment, but I watched the video tour and liked what I saw.

I built a prototype of something vaguely similar a few years ago that replicated a desk with papers stacked in piles. No searching, no sorting, no tagging--just typing on notes, dragging them into stacks, and a paintbrush to draw on the deck. This lets you leverage the brain's natural tendency to associate locations with ideas, like a memory palace. Want that recipe from a few weeks ago? You remember it was in a pile by a blue house you drew.

I see a similar philosophy here, expanded with more features and a larger scope. It's also great seeing a notes/organization system that isn't the same stupid three panels, tags on the left, etc.

Looking forward to trying it out when the site returns. Thanks for sharing!

[ricroz]

Thank you !!:) Sorry the site was down, it’s up now. I don’t know what that was.

Yes you’re exactly right. A mind palace. The mind thinks mostly in maps. Although also in lists maybe but I would say mostly in maps. And yes there’s this idea that when you can « decorate » your space, then you find things more easily. Because of visual memory. Decorating helps organizing.

Thanks again! I hope you were able to sign up so you’ll get updates :)

[ASalazarMX]

It might be the nostalgia, but I miss the leatherbound feeling of Lotus Organizer, and was hoping this website was something similar. Maybe it could support themes?

[ricroz]

I don’t know about Lotus Organizer but by looking at it looks like replicating a notebook on a screen ? Is that correct ? I do want to replicate that feeling of a white space. So I see the link.

Yes it could support themes for sure. You mean that you could choose from multiple pre-defined styles for a page ?

[nashashmi]

Very cool explanation. I love how you have simplified the life cycle of info. I also like your approach to “organization” being modeled after a general whiteboard.

I’m working on ideas for replicating a physical desk in a digital space. Your project is a good start. Additional layers are communication (email, chat, video) and shared access (shared library?, read only access to desk).

[ricroz]

Thank you !! ‘Simplifying the life cycle of info’, I love that:) Yes I agree with communication and shared access as next layers. What ideas are you working on ?

[desireco42]

This is cool. And I get where you are going with this...

Being endless is a power. And having structure ie. being able to emerge structure out of this would also be powerful.

I like it. If you make it open source, or maybe a plugin system would allow people to add what they think it would be needed without you having to implement it.

Or just play with this and see where it takes you.

[ricroz]

Thank you ! Do you agree that it’s a real mix of structure and endless freedom ? That’s the tension I’m aiming to solve.

What do you mean by « people add what they think » ? Like ideas/comments ? Or code ?

Thanks for your feedback :)

[replwoacause]

I watched the demo and love the philosophy behind the product.

Do you plan to support code blocks with syntax highlighting? Markdown text blocks ?

[ricroz]

Thank you !! Markdown absolutely, coming soon ! Code blocks with syntax highlighting, also. They’ll be accessible when right-clicking on a blank spot on a page. Is there any other important feature for you ?

[kemistri]

I open the link. All I see first is "Sign up". Closed in 2 seconds,sorry. Didn't even see the product.

[ricroz]

Sorry I didn’t understand at first … I fixed it, now the sign up form is further down and only shows up when scrolling down. I didn’t realize that was such an issue. Thank you for pointing it out !

[ricroz]

That is so weird … I’m sorry about that. It seems to work for me though. Gyst.fr

[johnthescott]

nice start. i signed up. looking forward to mobile version.

some observations:

items -> stacks, items -> folders, folders -> stacks, stacks -> desktop. each item can only be in single folder. copies of items can go into different folders. drag item to copier machines to duplicate.

[ricroz]

Thank you :) Did you like the wireframes for the mobile version ? Is that the way you would imagine it ?

I’m not sure what you mean by Stacks … and copier machine ? For me an item can be copied and pasted anywhere.

[jMyles]

I'd love the inverse: a physical desk that responds like a digital filesystem.

[ricroz]

haha^^ well actually maybe one day that will come !

[jrm4]

I like the idea a lot; seems similar to the abandoned KDE Baskets?

[ricroz]

Thank you ! Is there some aspects specifically that you like ? I don’t what KDE baskets is. But by looking at it now I would say it’s in the same vein, but KDE is not very visual it looks like. Did you ever try KdE ? Thanks

[zenmac]

can the each page be exported to static html/css? That will be killer feature and also makes this a instant WISIWG editor.

[ricroz]

Not yet but I can add this option in a second ! And in fact I want to. Also to be able to export it in pdf. What do you think ? I agree it’s very important to be able to export.

What is WISIWG ? Thanks for your feedback :)

[ashepp]

Might be a great obsidian plugin!

[ricroz]

Indeed ! I wouldn’t know how to do that though. I wish obsidian was less complicated to grasp.

[adas4044]

This is a really cool idea!

[ricroz]

Thanks !