MAKE Asks: Notebook Organization

MAKE Asks: is a weekly column where we ask you, our readers, for responses to maker-related questions. We hope the column sparks interesting conversation and is a way for us to get to know more about each other.

This week’s question: How do you take notes when working on projects? Be it on loose pages or a notebook, link to a scan that represents your work, or simply describe your note-taking process.

I document my projects in a loose, amoebic style on my Maker’s Notebook. Often they consist of short lists that are outlined and separated from other sections. Notes from the same project will often be spread out over many different pages, but I can recall them based on the page’s visual signature. Here is an explanation of the notes in the image above, counter-clockwise from the upper left (click here for a high-res version).

– Directions to the MoMA in NYC.
– Documentation as we were committing notes to tape for the Magnetotron.
– Parts costs for a recent project.
– Hours spent in working on the same project.
– Notes for the grease pencil markings made on the tape used for the Magnetotron.
– Fluorescent light SKU for use in a recent project
– Tool list for a recent construction job.
– Parts list for the Magnetotron.
– Parts costs for a recent project, continued.

Post your responses in the comments section.