Bullet Journal and Sketchnotes variations

Once a week, we have a meeting at work to summarize all the things done during the last five working days. It is sometimes hard for me to remember on which project, issue, repository branch I have worked on. I needed a tool to help me. A year ago, I dicovered the Bullet Journal. I started to use it mixed with Sketchnotes. This logging technique works well for and I want to share it with you.

Bullet journal for everyday tasks

During a normal day of work, I use the bullet journal to log things on witch I have work. It means every mornings, I take some minutes to write down the tasks I have to accomplish during the day. Each of these tasks are precedent by a little square. When the task is done, I mark it so.

This technique is called the bullet journal. Here is a video how it works:

Sketchnotes when at meetings and conferences

At conference and meetings, I use Mike Rohde’s sketchnote technique for sketchnoting. Since I read his first book “The Sketchnote Handbook”, I started sketchnoting at meetings. It is fun and more visual. And as a visual personn, my brain better remember the information.

My skills are becoming better with the practice and I enjoy more en more doing that. And the more funny is that my colleagues really like watching my meetings little comics.

Material

Here’s my setup to mix this two techniques in a way I’m comfortable with.

Notebook

The Freitage F27 Notebook is great notebook. The big advantage over the classic Moleskin is that it’s compatible with the Atoma binding system. That means you can:

• Remove pages, put them back or change their order without damaging the pages.
• Switch pages between various notebooks.
• Scan pages before returning them to the notebook.
• Buy refills and insert those in existing notebooks.
• You can do your own page if you want. You just need a Atoma hole puncher. (Every Freitag store own a puncher that you can use.)

And yeah, it’s a Freitag !

Paper

Freitag sells refill paper but it’s too expensive. I prefer to make my own sheets.

The BIELLA 4mm graph paper is my choice for logging paper. When it comes to sketchnoting, I use the Canson 70g/m2, extra white, bleed proof paper.

I cut these sheets at the right size and then go to a Freitag store to make the holes. The ATOMA hole puncher is really expensive. The Lausanne’s Freitag shop is on my way home. Every Freitag stores have an ATOMA hole puncher that you can ask for.

Pen

I don’t use a specific pen. It has to write in black and the maximum size is 0.5mm.

The mix

Here is a exemple of a month in my journal

• Page 1 (left): Calendar view
• Page 2 (right): Tasks for the month
• Page 3 (left): Start with the first day of the month
  • Day 1
    • Tasks for day 1
  • Day 2
    • Tasks for day 2
  • … until the end of the week (every week, I start a new page.)
• Page 4: If I have a meetings on day 1, I put in a blank page on wich I will sketch.

Think of a normal bullet journal in which are inserted sketchnotes. It means, I do a normal bullet journal and when I’m at a meeting a put in a blank page on which I will sketch.

It is simple ! no ?