How do you take notes at work? Alternatives to the old notepad?

[dice]

If using an iPad, you can get a screen protector that makes writing feel like it is on paper instead of being slippery.

True, but as a consequence they ruin the image quality of the screen and wear away the nib on the pencil much faster than anticipated.

[Mike2500]

I always use an old fashioned pen and notepad although I do enjoy buying and trying ‘nice’ pens for this purpose. My handwriting is shocking though and I’m pretty much the only one who can read it! I do find by handwriting something, it helps me remember it, somehow.

A lot of systems I’ve used at work allow notes to be added, which I extensively use so it’s not just handwritten notes I keep I suppose.

How easy is OneNote to use as I’ve been tempted on several occasions?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Omegamanic]

Probably not so useful, but my writing isn’t good enough most of the time for even my own review many weeks later, and for the same reason was a bit of a nightmare with the electronic ink programs, so if possible I take someone else with me to any important meetings to take notes and type them up, or save them if they’ve used a tablet.

[Wolfie]

I can type quicker than I can write…. Tend to use my PC for note taking…. Often into a spreadsheet so I can organise and move it about

Very very rarely use a pen and pad where I can’t use my PC

[W124]

I have worked for global IT companies for over 30 years, but have not found a better solution than Filofax A5 paper and dividers (other organisers are available).

I typically work with 10+ client engagements at a time, with several calls per week each.

The traditional note book becomes unwieldy as you jump forward and backward to connect the individual call notes into a project thread.

The legacy Filofax allows me to create a tab for each client and have immediate access to the full context of the engagement as it evolves over weeks and months.

Maybe it's just me, but I know that I can write on the page more efficiently than typing or scribbling on an iPad.

I've had the Filofax Finsbury for at least ten years, replacing a previous binder which became shabby after ten+ years of use.

The genuine Filofax paper is expensive, but there are many cheaper alternative suppliers of recycled A5 punched paper.

[markrlondon]

I can type quicker than I can write…. Tend to use my PC for note taking…. Often into a spreadsheet so I can organise and move it about

Interesting way to use a spreadsheet!

Have you tried outline mode in Word?

Back in the day there used to be a very popular bit of software named PC-Outline for this specific purpose. (See also Grandview).

[andy tims]

I still use a notepad & written to do lists.

I also put lots of calendar reminders in outlook.

[smashie]

iPad mini, pencil, paperlike on the screen and OneNote. For site notes when it raining, rite in the rain notepads and a fisher space pen.

[greenandblack]

I looked into the whole bullet note thing awhile ago, the only technique I found v helpful was leave the first page or two of your notebook free and write an index in it as you fill out the rest of the book.

Since getting a nice fountain pen as a gift a few years ago I’ve returned to the notebook as I really enjoy writing with it and don’t have much other call to generally.

I have used google keep on iPad Pro with pencil and did really like it, but it hasn’t stuck

[uktotty]

I use Word, for everything or CRM once my notes have been organised

[M1011]

I just bring this guy with me to meetings.

[Wolfie]

Interesting way to use a spreadsheet!

Have you tried outline mode in Word?

Back in the day there used to be a very popular bit of software named PC-Outline for this specific purpose. (See also Grandview).

Yes…. Not particularly conventional! But, I’ve made it work for me…. I have to interview people a lot in my role to get insights into how they work and what does or does not work…. Pain points/ opportunities etc. so I have a load of prompts noted on the left to guide the conversation and then make note against them in the cell to the right…. I have separate tabs for different interviews with different people…. I can then organise it, pull out key insights/ themes and distill into a broader report…. I have a web based software to upload and further organise the notes

Not sure I could achieve this on Word? I will check out the mode though - thank you!

[markrlondon]

I have separate tabs for different interviews with different people…. I can then organise it, pull out key insights/ themes and distill into a broader report[...]

Not sure I could achieve this on Word? I will check out the mode though - thank you!

You could perhaps emulate that with separate documents in Word. Each document would equate to an Excel tab. Also you could create a template document as a kind of standardised input form.