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.
Maybe you don’t need a separate journal and are content to put a single-sentence recap for each day in your planner. Maybe the memo area isn’t essential and a monthly planner insert will suffice. Or perhaps you want to go all in on scrapbooking and get an insert that’s all brown kraft paper. That’s the beauty of the Traveler’s Notebook: it’s whatever you want it to be. —Terrence O’Brien, weekend editor
When I decided to try journaling again (with the aforementioned Traveler’s Notebook) I hoped to make the habit stick this time by making it a luxury experience. Scribbling with a Pilot G2 in whatever branded swag notebook I had laying around wasn’t working. So I decided to invest in a fountain pen. There was no need for me to immediately jump to a $200 pen, but I also wanted something nicer than a $3 disposable Zebra Zensations. I quickly settled on a Lamy Safari (admittedly in part because I found a limited-edition in a gorgeous terracotta orange) and haven’t looked back. I’ve tried a few other fountain pens since, but I keep coming back to the reliable and affordable Safari.
They’re only $30 each, which means you can build a small collection in a variety of colors for pretty cheap. I keep one with my Traveler’s Notebook at all times and one lives in my sling permanently alongside a Field Notes for when I want to travel light. Then I have a third that just lives on my desk. Basically, I am never without a fine writing instrument, and rarely have to resort to the scratchy collection of free pens that have overtaken an entire drawer in my office. That’s important since, if I actually enjoy writing with a pen, I’m far more likely to use it to take notes, update my to-do list, and journal. It makes those things pleasurable experiences, not just a chore. —Terrence O’Brien, weekend editor
I get a small burst of dopamine every time I pop the top of my fountain pen and draw ink across a page. As a casual dabbler in fine art, writing with a fountain pen serves as my small way to make something pretty while also working a job that does not pay me to draw. I’ve tried other pens, like Muji’s multicolored 0.38 pens, Pigma Micron fine-tipped felt pens, and various gel pens with satisfying clicks. But fountain pens are my daily pleasure.
My love has not quite turned into an obsession. I use a Platinum Preppy fountain pen that costs under $10, and I refill the ink cartridge with Waterman ink using a needle that my friend, who is a nurse, gave to me. But I could see myself expanding this into a hobby by daring to try different color inks and, one day, visiting a nibmeister to get a nib ground to perfectly match the slant of my handwriting. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy my fairly basic, straightforward fountain pen for what it is: a good way to write a nice line on paper. — Elissa Welle, AI fellow
I’ve tried digital productivity tools for notes and reminders, but I find I remember things better when I write them by hand. I tend to prefer Japanese-made stationery, and I am very particular about the pens I use. For when a fountain pen feels like overkill, my favorite gel-ink ballpoint pen is Zebra’s Sarasa Clip, which comes in a variety of tip sizes. I like 0.5mm for basic note-taking and journaling and 0.4mm or 0.3mm for finer details, like when I need to write small or attempt to write kanji.
The Sarasa line of pens writes incredibly smoothly and vividly, with a noticeable edge over similar ballpoint pens, like Pilot’s G2 (or, god forbid, a Bic pen). I don’t ever find myself having to scribble on scrap paper to get the Sarasa pens going, which is probably my biggest pet peeve with other pens, and it’s easy to get ink refills on Amazon. In my experience, the ink dries quickly on the page, but there’s also the Sarasa Mark On, a smudge- and water-resistant version, for the lefties out there. For day-to-day writing, I simply will not use any other pen. — Kallie Plagge, senior copy editor
$25
Features a German steel blade for sharp pencil tips.
The Blackwing One-Step Long Point Sharpener is just such a nice little object. It’s reassuringly weighty while still light enough to carry every day. It has one job: it sharpens pencils beautifully. When the blade gets dull I can order a replacement from Blackwing, and I appreciate a little gadget with a lot of life. You do have to apply a bit of pressure to really get it sharp, and sometimes that creates kind of an indented ring on the pencil wood just above the point. Maybe that’s why people use two-stage sharpeners? I don’t know, I’m new to the luxury pencil game. If so, I think it’s an acceptable tradeoff for one-step sharpening. —Allison Johnson, senior reviewer
For reasons I have yet to figure out, I have bounced off of every kind of tool, routine, and method out there for jotting down notes that can keep me accountable. Online tools are typically overly complex for me to grasp and easy to forget about, and I’ve just never taken to a journal or Post-it notes.
Something that’s working for me is a weekly calendar dry-erase board that’s in our kitchen. The one we use from Letterfolk has sections for every day of the week (Letterfolk only makes the monthly version now), plus a sidebar that can be customized to our needs. It also includes magnetized letters and numbers we have to swap out, which is kind of a fun, tactile experience. Whenever my wife and I are feeling overwhelmed, which is frequently, updating the board to reflect what we need can make us feel a little better, whether that’s sorting out what extra food we need for meals, writing out upcoming appointments, or discussing child care. The board doesn’t solve every woe in our lives, and updating it can be a chore in and of itself, but it’s a simple way to make life feel a little more orderly. —Cameron Faulkner, commerce editor
0 Comments
