I have a notepad at work and it’s truly great. I don’t know why I never got into notepads sooner, but now that I have there’ s no possible way that a digital solution can rival it.
When I’ve got an idea or a problem or a task or whatever, I write it down. After that it stares me in the face until I’ve taken action and either crossed it out or broken it down into smaller problems. This is how I generally work, but with a real physical notepad there’s the added incentive of it not going anywhere. No amount of saving or filing or minimising or compiling can stop it from sitting on my desk impetuously glaring at me while I do other things I shouldn’t be doing.
A notepad keeps you on your toes and reminds you what’s important.
It’s also a really useful multi-purpose tool. You can doodle on it in meetings, draw patterns and write silly things that dull the pain after someone tells you to implement a new BIOS firmware updater in HTML and CSS. You can even eat sandwiches off your notepad when there isn’t a plate handy, which I’d like to see you do with your iPad.
I only lament the notepad because now that I’m trying to work at home without one, I’m lost. I need to draw out a flowchart and all the digital tools are fiddly and irritating. Pen and paper may not have drop shadows and gradients, but it’s a lot more efficient and lets you get your ideas out faster. It’s a great workflow tool and the minute the shops open tomorrow I’m heading out to get myself a new one.