How it works
One idea. A way to see it.
An explanation starts to work when you can connect it to something you already know.
Napkin Solo uses everyday examples, analogies, and sketches to help make that connection. Each sketch has one job: make one idea clearer.
1. Find the idea worth explaining
A research paper or document may contain many ideas. The first step is to pull out one and say plainly what the reader needs to understand.
2. Find something familiar
A queue at a checkout. A crowded wardrobe. A cup filling up. The engine explores different metaphors and looks for one whose relationships fit the idea.
3. Let the drawing explain
The chosen metaphor becomes a sketch in the Napkin Solo house style. A few objects, gestures, and lines carry the point. Short labels and a caption help it land.
4. Keep the source within reach
A sketch gives you a way into an idea. Each idea page keeps the original title and citation under “Where this idea comes from.” Notes flag mixed or challenged findings where recorded in the source cards.
Where AI fits
Napkin Solo is an AI-assisted engine developed by Bharat Khandelwal. AI helps distil ideas, explore metaphors, and write explanations. A shared illustration engine supplies the figures and drawing vocabulary.
A simple picture can only carry so much. It is a starting point for understanding; the source provides the detail and context.