Considering all the tech that we cover here at The Verge, you’d think that the members of our staff would be using their phones, laptops, and other gadgets for all their productivity needs. But interestingly, when we asked people to talk about their favorite productivity tools, there was suddenly an enthusiastic discussion of notebooks, pens, and dry-erase boards.
Welcome to a not-so-secret society where members are concerned with the format of an analog notebook, the quality of its paper, and the available add-ons. Where article ideas, family activities, and interviews notes are jotted down rather than typed. And where productivity can be enhanced not by software, but rather by finding the right type of writing implement to use with your chosen notebook.
Curious? Here are some of the analog productivity tools that we use here at The Verge. They aren’t our only tools — let’s face it, this is The Verge, after all — but they work for us, so they might work for you, too.
After years of experimenting with every to-do app on the planet, I’ve gone back to my analog ways with the Hobonichi Techo — the A5 Cousin and the smaller Hobonichi Weeks. Something about physically writing my stuff with a pen helps me keep track of what’s truly worth my time and what isn’t.
The Cousin is great for visualizing my time on a yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily basis. The Weeks version is what I use for both gratitude journaling and tracking my self-care, fitness, and reading. Both books have some extra pages in back for commonplace journaling (aka writing down random knowledge, brain dumps, reference notes, etc.). There’s also a smaller A6 size, if these are too large or skinny. All Hobonichi books have a dot-grid format, and the Tomoe River paper is so thin — but it takes a significant amount of ink to bleed through. I’ve been using these notebooks for almost two years now, and while they’re on the pricier end (especially if you buy them directly from Hobonichi, which is based in Japan, and have to add on shipping costs), they’ve absolutely helped me become a much more productive person and better writer. —Victoria Song, senior reviewer
These seem more like art experiments than functional notebooks, but I love objects that make you rethink how you should use them. I typically have Post-it notes or a spiral notebook on my desk so I can write something down or doodle during a meeting. The L-shaped Sidekick doesn’t take up a ton of space on my desk, opened or closed. The Triangle Notebook is actually great for using on your lap or other unconventional surfaces, as it is pretty sturdy and lays flat on its spine. Both notebooks also encourage me to use my handwriting more, which was a New Year’s resolution I had. —Andru Marino, senior producer
While I have a tendency to be constantly looking for different apps to use for either taking notes or tracking tasks, I have to admit that over the years I’ve gotten more use out of a simple notebook with removable pages than Notion, Keep, or Evernote. Sold by Levenger under the Circa name, the notebooks are bound with plastic discs that let you easily remove and replace the pages. I’ve got a red leather notebook in the Compact size, which is just large enough to write comfortably in, but small enough to fit into my bag. (There are several sizes, ranging from the very small Jotlet to the considerably larger Letter.) Plastic tabs divide the pages into sections; my usual habit is to just open to the first empty page, grab my pen from the attached loop, and write. Later, I can move the page to the appropriate section, remove it for storage, or dispose of it if I don’t need it anymore.
It’s not a perfect system — I often have to remind myself to go through the notebook and dispose of outdated notes. (Also, the Compact size often seems to sell out.) But when I need to quickly jot down a thought, grabbing the Circa from my bag is faster than typing something out on my phone, and a lot more private than recording it. —Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor
About a decade ago, my mother bought me a fauxdori (a knockoff Traveler’s Notebook) for Christmas. At first I didn’t quite get it (I already had more than enough journals and notebooks). But then I discovered that the Traveler’s Notebook wasn’t just a notebook, but a whole system of notebooks — and it’s now indispensable to me. There are a ton of different inserts that you can mix and match to suit your needs, from regular dot-grid notebooks to dated planners, and even thick, accordion-fold paper for watercolor panoramas.
After some experimenting, I settled on a system that works for me. First, I have a Weekly + Memo insert where I can put all my important appointments and dates on the left-hand page, and use the grid on the right-hand page as a habit tracker, to-do list for the week, and a scratchpad for when I need to jot something down. Then I have a dot-grid journal where I, you know, journal. Rounding out the setup is a lined insert that is a sort of commonplace book for me to take notes on things I’m reading and collect ideas for articles or songs. I also have a sketchbook that I add in sometimes when I’m feeling arty, but things get a bit chunky with four inserts.
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