What this method produces. One Source Card per signal: a short, checkable record that turns an image or observation into evidence you can defend.
Step 1 — Capture the observation precisely. Not "cool jackets everywhere" but "cropped leather bombers, worn open, mostly with wide trousers." Precision decides whether step 4 is even possible.
Step 2 — Record the source. Who published or wore it: show name, magazine, account, shop. Link if it exists. If you found it on an aggregator (Pinterest, TikTok repost), dig one level down to the origin.
Step 3 — Record date and place. When it appeared in the world (not when you saw it) and where: city, event, platform. "Paris, SS26 shows, early October" beats "autumn".
Step 4 — First or repeat? One appearance is an anecdote. Note whether you have seen this element before, where, and how many times. Independent repetitions across different places are what turn an anecdote into a signal.
Step 5 — Classify honestly: taste or signal. If all you can say is that you like it — write "taste" without shame; taste tells you where to look next. If it repeats and can be verified — write "signal" and state its passport.
Step 6 — One line: why it matters. Finish the card with a single sentence a buyer or brand manager could act on: what this signal suggests about demand, timing or audience.
Common mistakes. Dating the discovery instead of the appearance. Citing the aggregator as the source. Merging five different observations into one vague card — one card, one signal.