How to Use ClickUp as a Visual Knowledge Hub

ClickUp can replace visual thinking tools like Scrintal when you know how to combine Docs, Whiteboards, Tasks, and Views into one connected knowledge system. This guide walks you step by step through setting up that workflow.

The goal is to recreate a visual, non-linear thinking space while still keeping everything organized, searchable, and actionable for daily work.

Step 1: Plan Your ClickUp Knowledge Structure

Before you build anything, outline how information will flow through your workspace. This keeps your system from becoming a messy dump of random notes.

Decide What Lives in ClickUp

First, decide which knowledge types you want inside ClickUp:

• Research notes and article clippings
• Meeting notes and interviews
• Project briefs and strategy docs
• Idea dumps, mind maps, and concept sketches
• Task-linked documentation and SOPs

This clarity helps you design Spaces and Folders that match real work, not just theory.

Map Spaces, Folders, and Lists

Next, sketch a simple hierarchy:

• Spaces for high-level areas, such as Product, Marketing, Research, or Personal Knowledge
• Folders to group related projects or topics
• Lists for specific projects, research themes, or ongoing areas of exploration

Keep the structure lightweight. You can always add more Lists later as your knowledge base grows.

Step 2: Build a ClickUp Research & Idea Capture Area

Visual thinking tools shine at capturing half-formed ideas. You can recreate that experience with a dedicated capture area.

Create a ClickUp Inbox List

Set up a List called Knowledge Inbox or Research Inbox in a central Space.

Use this List to capture:

• Quick ideas and brain dumps
• Links to articles and resources
• Screenshots and attachments
• Questions you want to explore later

Each new idea becomes a task. That allows you to tag, sort, and connect items without losing flexibility.

Standardize with Custom Fields

To keep your ClickUp Inbox useful, add a few key Custom Fields:

• Type (Idea, Research, Meeting Note, Concept)
• Topic or Theme (tag major themes)
• Source (link or reference)
• Priority or Impact (to decide what to develop later)

These fields make it easy to group and filter items when your Inbox grows to hundreds of entries.

Step 3: Use ClickUp Docs for Deep Research

Once an idea or reference is worth exploring, move it from a quick task into a detailed Doc for structured thinking.

Link Tasks and Docs in ClickUp

Open a research task and create a new Doc directly from it, or attach an existing Doc. Use a simple template for consistent structure:

• Summary or abstract
• Key questions
• Highlights and quotes
• Insights
• Next actions

Because Docs live inside your workspace, they stay connected to tasks, people, and projects automatically.

Organize Docs with Hierarchies

Use nested Docs inside ClickUp to mimic a digital notebook:

• Top-level Doc for a major topic (e.g., “User Research”)
• Sub-docs for studies, interviews, or experiments
• Linked Docs for cross-cutting themes and frameworks

Link between Docs so you can jump across related ideas without losing context.

Step 4: Recreate Visual Maps with ClickUp Whiteboards

Visual nodes and relationships are a core Scrintal-style experience. You can get similar benefits with Whiteboards.

Create a ClickUp Whiteboard for Each Topic

For each major research area or project, create a Whiteboard and add:

• Sticky notes for ideas and findings
• Task cards pulled in from Lists
• Links to Docs for deeper reading
• Shapes and labels for frameworks or timelines

Arrange elements spatially to show how concepts connect. Use colors to distinguish themes, sources, or status.

Connect Whiteboards to Real Work

Whiteboards in ClickUp should never be dead ends. Make them gateways to tasks:

• Convert sticky notes into tasks when they become actionable
• Attach Docs to nodes for deeper context
• Add assignees and due dates to task cards directly on the board

This turns visual thinking into a pipeline of deliverables.

Step 5: Turn Insights into ClickUp Tasks and Workflows

Research and ideas only matter if they influence execution. Tie insights into your normal task workflows.

Create Actionable Tasks from Insights

As you review Docs and Whiteboards, create tasks for:

• Experiments to run
• Features to design or test
• Content to write
• Decisions to make

Link each task back to the source Doc or Whiteboard so anyone can trace the reasoning.

Use ClickUp Views to Manage Follow-Through

Customize Views to track how knowledge turns into action:

• Board view by status for experiments and ideas in progress
• List view with filters by Topic or Type
• Calendar view for review cycles and research deadlines

This keeps the system from becoming a read-only archive.

Step 6: Create a ClickUp Review and Refinement Loop

A living knowledge base needs regular pruning. Build a simple recurring process.

Set Up Recurring Review Tasks in ClickUp

Create recurring tasks such as:

• Weekly: Review Knowledge Inbox and tag or archive items
• Bi-weekly: Update key Whiteboards and Docs
• Monthly: Archive old research and summarize big insights

Assign owners and due dates so the knowledge base evolves with your projects.

Consolidate Insights into Summary Docs

For each big theme, maintain one summary Doc that collects:

• Top findings
• Key decisions
• Links to underlying Docs, tasks, and Whiteboards

Use these Docs as entry points for new team members and stakeholders.

Step 7: Enhance Your Setup with Expert Help

If you want advanced workflows, AI automation, or cross-tool integrations, it can help to work with specialists who design systems around your processes.

You can explore knowledge management consulting and workflow design services at Consultevo, where teams focus on building practical, scalable setups.

Learn More About Visual Alternatives

To compare this approach with dedicated visual-first apps, review tools and alternatives discussed in the original Scrintal comparison on the Scrintal alternatives blog page. This will help you decide how far you want to lean into an all-in-one workspace.

Putting Your ClickUp Knowledge System into Action

By combining Docs, Whiteboards, tasks, and custom Views, you can turn ClickUp into a powerful visual knowledge hub that rivals specialized tools while staying fully integrated with your daily work.

Start small: build a simple Inbox List, one research Space, and a handful of Whiteboards. As you capture more information, refine the structure, add summary Docs, and tighten your review loops so your workspace stays clear, connected, and genuinely useful.