The Sphere
The Sphere is your living, breathing contact list. It's the home screen of MEMO — where you see everyone in your world, organized by who needs your attention most.
Unlike a static address book, The Sphere moves. People rise and fall based on what's happening in their lives and how long it's been since you connected.
How It Works
When you open MEMO, you land in The Sphere. You'll see your contacts displayed as cards, each showing:
- Their name and photo
- A piece of context (a memo, upcoming birthday, or prompt to add one)
- Visual cues about urgency
The order isn't alphabetical. It's not by most recent. It's by gravity — a smart priority system that surfaces the right people at the right time.
Gravity: Why Some People Rise to the Top
MEMO uses a concept called "gravity" to decide who appears first. Think of it like this: some people are pulling harder for your attention based on what's happening right now.
What increases gravity:
- Birthday or anniversary coming up — Someone with a birthday this week rises to the top
- Drifting apart — The longer since you've been in touch, the higher they climb
- Inner Circle status — Your VIPs get priority over casual contacts
- New to your Sphere — Recently added contacts surface so you can follow up
What decreases gravity:
- Recent contact — Just talked to someone? They sink down for a while
- Snoozed — Manually snoozed contacts stay hidden until their snooze expires
You don't need to understand the math. Just trust that when you open MEMO, the people at the top are the ones worth reaching out to today.
The Tabs
The Sphere has four tabs to help you focus:
All
Everyone in your Sphere, sorted by gravity. This is your default view.
Inner
Only your Inner Circle contacts. Use this when you want to focus on VIPs.
Outer
Everyone not in your Inner Circle. Useful for working through your broader network.
Archive
Contacts you've archived. They won't appear in suggestions or your main feed, but their history is preserved.
Contact Cards
Each person in your Sphere appears as a card. Here's what you'll see:
The Basics
- Photo — Their profile picture (or initials if none)
- Name — First and last name
- Tags — Role badge, Inner Circle badge, and custom tags
The Context Line
Below the name, you'll see a single line of context. This changes each time you view the card, cycling through:
- Memos — Personal details you've captured ("Loves hiking with her dog")
- Upcoming events — "Birthday tomorrow!" or "Home anniversary today!"
- Prompt — "Tap to add a memo" if there's nothing yet
This "context shuffle" keeps your Sphere feeling fresh. You're not seeing the same static info every time — you're being reminded of different facets of each person.
Visual Urgency
Cards that need attention stand out visually. MEMO uses subtle design cues (like shadow color) to indicate when someone is overdue for contact.
Searching Your Sphere
Tap the search bar to find anyone quickly.
What you can search:
- First or last name
- Role (try "client" or "vendor")
- Custom tags you've added
- City or location
Search results appear instantly as you type.
Tapping a Contact
Tap any card to open their full profile, where you can:
- See all their details (contact info, dates, notes)
- View your interaction history
- Add or edit memos
- Log a new interaction
- Edit their information
Quick Actions
From The Sphere, you can take quick actions without opening a full profile:
- Long press — Opens a quick action menu
- Swipe — Quick actions like snooze or log interaction (if enabled)
Snoozing Contacts
Sometimes you know you don't need to reach out to someone right now. Maybe you just saw them yesterday, or they're on vacation, or you're waiting to hear back.
To snooze someone:
- Open their profile
- Tap the snooze option
- Choose how long (1 day, 1 week, 1 month, or custom)
Snoozed contacts won't appear in your main feed or suggestions until the snooze expires. They're not gone — just quiet for a while.
Archiving Contacts
For people you want to keep but don't need to actively maintain:
- Archived contacts don't appear in your feed or suggestions
- Their history and data are preserved
- You can unarchive anytime
When to archive:
- Someone moved away and you've lost touch
- A vendor you no longer use
- Old contacts you're keeping "just in case"
The "Because" Line
Sometimes you'll see a small italic line explaining why someone is surfacing:
- "Birthday is in 3 days"
- "It's been a few months"
- "Inner circle check-in"
This helps you understand why MEMO is showing you this person right now.
Adding New Contacts
From The Sphere, tap the "+" button to add someone new:
- Enter their name (required)
- Add contact details (phone, email)
- Set their role and circle
- Add any notes or memos
New contacts appear in your Sphere immediately and start flowing through the gravity system.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of The Sphere
Check in daily. Even a quick scroll shows you who's top of mind. You might spot a birthday you almost forgot.
Trust the order. Resist the urge to scroll to the bottom looking for someone specific. If they're not near the top, they probably don't need attention right now. Use search if you need someone specific.
Use the tabs. Feeling overwhelmed? Switch to "Inner" and focus on just your VIPs.
Snooze liberally. Just reached out to someone? Snooze them for a week so they're not cluttering your view.
Add memos when you think of them. Spotted someone in your Sphere and remembered they just got a puppy? Tap in and add that memo. Future you will thank present you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why isn't my Sphere in alphabetical order? Because alphabetical order doesn't help you prioritize. MEMO sorts by gravity — who needs attention most. If you need to find someone specific, use search.
Q: Someone I just talked to is still at the top. Why? Did you log the interaction? MEMO only knows about contact you tell it about. Log a quick interaction and they'll sink down.
Q: Can I manually reorder my Sphere? No, and that's by design. Manual ordering would defeat the purpose. Trust the gravity system — it's working for you, not against you.
Q: What's the difference between archiving and deleting? Archived contacts are hidden but preserved. Deleting is permanent. Use archive for "maybe someday" contacts; delete only when you're sure.
Q: How do I see everyone, not just high-priority people? Scroll! Everyone's there, just ordered by priority. Or use search to find someone specific.
Summary
| Concept | What It Means |
|---|---|
| The Sphere | Your smart, priority-sorted contact list |
| Gravity | The system that decides who rises to the top |
| Context Line | Rotating memos and reminders on each card |
| Tabs | All, Inner, Outer, Archive — filter your view |
| Snooze | Temporarily hide someone from your feed |
| Archive | Permanently hide (but preserve) a contact |
The Sphere is your relationship command center. Open it, see who needs attention, take action. No hunting through spreadsheets. No forgetting birthdays. Just a clear view of your world, always up to date.
Still stuck? Email us and we'll help you out.