# Effective Flashcard Design: Principles and Applications

## Section 1: Learning Principles

### Minimalism

**Principle:** One question or idea per card to avoid information overload.
**Application:** The flashcard's title or primary heading should be the question or idea. Break down complex concepts into multiple simple flashcards. Keep definitions or explanations brief.
**Example:** Instead of one card for "The stages of photosynthesis", create separate cards for each stage.

### Visual Hierarchy

**Principle:** Use typography, color, and layout to guide the reader's eye and make information easy to scan.
**Application:** Use different font sizes for headings and body text. Use bullet points and numbered lists. Highlight key terms in bold or italics. Use color sparingly to emphasize important elements.

### Consistency

**Principle:** Consistent formatting enhances usability and understanding.
**Application:** Use a style guide or template for flashcards. Include standards for fonts, colors, and layouts, and for structuring and presenting information.
**Example:** Standardize the color scheme and font types across all flashcards for a uniform look.

### Use of Images

**Principle:** Images should enhance understanding, not distract or clutter.
**Application:** Use images to illustrate concepts. Ensure images are clear, appropriately sized, and related to the content. Use original diagrams or pictures where possible. Be mindful of copyright and attribution for images.

### Color Coding

**Principle:** Colors can categorize and help retrieve information.
**Application:** Use different color backgrounds or text for flashcards on different topics or question types. Use a limited number of colors to avoid confusion. Ensure colors are accessible to all users, including those with color blindness.

### Spacing

**Principle:** White space improves readability and comprehension.
**Application:** Leave ample space around text and between elements on the card. This includes line-height for a comfortable reading experience.

### Font Choice

**Principle:** Fonts should be easy to read.
**Application:** Use standard, easy-to-read fonts like Arial, Helvetica, or Times New Roman. Sans-serif fonts work well for headings and short text, while serif fonts are good for longer text. Keep font size in the range of 12-16 points for body text and 18-30 points for headings.

### Interleaving

**Principle:** Mixing different kinds of problems or material can improve learning.
**Application:** Shuffle your flashcards or create and study decks that include a variety of questions or topics. Use tags in Anki to categorize your cards, then use custom study sessions to review a mixture of cards from different tags.

### Testing Effect

**Principle:** Recalling an answer strengthens memory.
**Application:** Actively use your flashcards. Try to recall the answer before you flip the card. Consider using cloze deletion or fill-in-the-blank questions for advanced testing.

### Spacing Effect

**Principle:** Spacing study out over time improves learning.
**Application:** Review your flashcards regularly, but not all at once. Consider using a flashcard app with spaced repetition. In Anki, adjust the intervals for individual cards to suit your learning speed and the difficulty of the material.

## Section 2: HTML and CSS for Anki Cards

### Text Formatting:

- `<b></b>` for **bold** text
- `<i></i>` for _italic_ text
- `<u></u>` for underline
- `<s></s>` or `<strike></strike>` for strikethrough
- `<sup></sup>` for superscript
- `<sub></sub>` for subscript
- `<pre></pre>` for preformatted text (preserves spaces and line breaks)
- `<code></code>` for code
- `<small></small>` for smaller text
- `<em></em>` for emphasized text
- `<strong></strong>` for important text
- `<mark></mark>` for highlighted text

### Lists:

- `<ul></ul>` for unordered lists
- `<ol></ol>` for ordered lists
- `<li></li>` for list items

### Links and Images:

- `<a href=""></a>` for links
- `<img src="" />` for images

### Headings:

- `<h1></h1>` to `<h6></h6>` for headings

### Other Elements:

- `<div></div>` for divisions or sections
- `<span></span>` for span of text
- `<br />` for line breaks
- `<hr />` for thematic break (horizontal line)
- `<table></table>`, `<tr></tr>`, `<th></th>`, and `<td></td>` for tables

### Styling with CSS:

- You can use inline CSS styles with the `style` attribute, for example: `<p style="color:red;"></p>`.
- Anki also allows you to add global CSS styling in the card types window. For more customization, consider learning about CSS properties like `font-size`, `font-weight`, `color`, `background-color`, `margin`, `padding`, and `border`.

# Effective Flashcard Design: Principles and Applications

## Section 1: Learning Principles

### Minimalism

**Principle:** One question or idea per card to avoid information overload.

**Application:** The flashcard's title or primary heading should be the question or idea. Break down complex concepts into multiple simple flashcards. Keep definitions or explanations brief.

**Example:** Instead of one card for "The stages of photosynthesis", create separate cards for each stage.

### Visual Hierarchy

**Principle:** Use typography, color, and layout to guide the reader's eye and make information easy to scan.

**Application:** Use different font sizes for headings and body text. Use bullet points and numbered lists. Highlight key terms in bold or italics. Use color sparingly to emphasize important elements.

### Consistency

**Principle:** Consistent formatting enhances usability and understanding.

**Application:** Use a style guide or template for flashcards. Include standards for fonts, colors, and layouts, and for structuring and presenting information.

**Example:** Standardize the color scheme and font types across all flashcards for a uniform look.

### Use of Images

**Principle:** Images should enhance understanding, not distract or clutter.

**Application:** Use images to illustrate concepts. Ensure images are clear, appropriately sized, and related to the content. Use original diagrams or pictures where possible. Be mindful of copyright and attribution for images.

### Color Coding

**Principle:** Colors can categorize and help retrieve information.

**Application:** Use different color backgrounds or text for flashcards on different topics or question types. Use a limited number of colors to avoid confusion. Ensure colors are accessible to all users, including those with color blindness.

### Spacing

**Principle:** White space improves readability and comprehension.

**Application:** Leave ample space around text and between elements on the card. This includes line-height for a comfortable reading experience.

### Font Choice

**Principle:** Fonts should be easy to read.

**Application:** Use standard, easy-to-read fonts like Arial, Helvetica, or Times New Roman. Sans-serif fonts work well for headings and short text, while serif fonts are good for longer text. Keep font size in the range of 12-16 points for body text and 18-30 points for headings.

### Interleaving

**Principle:** Mixing different kinds of problems or material can improve learning.

**Application:** Shuffle your flashcards or create and study decks that include a variety of questions or topics. Use tags in Anki to categorize your cards, then use custom study sessions to review a mixture of cards from different tags.

### Testing Effect

**Principle:** Recalling an answer strengthens memory.

**Application:** Actively use your flashcards. Try to recall the answer before you flip the card. Consider using cloze deletion or fill-in-the-blank questions for advanced testing.

### Spacing Effect

**Principle:** Spacing study out over time improves learning.

**Application:** Review your flashcards regularly, but not all at once. Consider using a flashcard app with spaced repetition. In Anki, adjust the intervals for individual cards to suit your learning speed and the difficulty of the material.

## Section 2: Anki-Specific Tips

### Using LaTeX for Math Formulas:

If you're studying a subject that involves complex math formulas, consider using LaTeX. Here's an example of how to input the quadratic formula:

```latex
[latex]x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}[/latex]
```

### Adding Sound Files:

For language learning, Anki allows you to add sound files to your cards, which can be beneficial for improving pronunciation and comprehension skills.

## Section 3: HTML and CSS for Anki Cards

### Text Formatting:

- `<b></b>` for **bold** text
- `<i></i>` for _italic_ text
- `<u></u>` for underline
- `<s></s>` or `<strike></strike>` for strikethrough
- `<sup></sup>` for superscript
- `<sub></sub>` for subscript
- `<pre></pre>` for preformatted text (preserves spaces and line breaks)
- `<code></code>` for code
- `<small></small>` for smaller text
- `<em></em>` for emphasized text
- `<strong></strong>` for important text
- `<mark></mark>` for highlighted text

### Lists:

- `<ul></ul>` for unordered lists
- `<ol></ol>` for ordered lists
- `<li></li>` for list items

### Links and Images:

- `<a href=""></a>` for links
- `<img src="" />` for images

### Headings:

- `<h1></h1>` to `<h6></h6>` for headings

### Other Elements:

- `<div></div>` for divisions or sections
- `<span></span>` for span of text
- `<br />` for line breaks
- `<hr />` for thematic break (horizontal line)
- `<table></table>`, `<tr></tr>`, `<th></th>`, and `<td></td>` for tables

### Explanation of Elements:

- `<div>` vs `<span>`: `<div>` is a block-level element, while `<span>` is an inline element.
- `<em>` and `<i>`, `<strong>` and `<b>`: `<em>` and `<strong>` tags are used to emphasize text, changing its meaning, while `<i>` and `<b>` are used for stylistic changes.

### Styling with CSS:

- Inline CSS styles with the `style` attribute: `<p style="color:red;"></p>`
- Anki also allows global CSS styling in the Card Types window. CSS properties like `font-size`, `font-weight`, `color`, `background-color`, `margin`, `padding`, and `border`.

### CSS Basics:

- **Inline CSS:** Applied directly within the HTML element.
- **Internal CSS:** Included within the `<head>` section of the HTML document.
- **External CSS:** Included as a separate file (with a .css extension).

```

```
