Note-taking is a practice of recording information from an oral discussion like a meeting, a lecture and others. It is an important skill that one needs to learn in order to gather valuable information. Taking notes can be done by merely writing points that are being discussed. Some people use short hand writing. These days, there are already applications that can immediately record notes merely by recording the voice of the one speaking. But many people are still using the old fashioned way of note taking which is through pen and paper.

Some designers find it truly hard to write things down for they think that doing so is time consuming. Some are lazy to do that and consider it a mere disturbance to their work. But the truth is, note-taking is very much important for a design job and in whatever kind of job. If you come to think of it, note-taking is a very simple task. Hence, you will find it easy to do this if you will give it try. Once you’ll get to know how important note-taking is, you will surely try doing it. Here they are:

1. You will have more efficient design process.

You will have more efficient design process
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In designing, you will surely be aided well with the notes you have. These could be the notes you wrote down while you were having a meeting with your client. This way, you will be well guided on what the client want for the project. Following your notes can also make you more productive and may help lessen the number of revisions. You will not only have an efficient design process but you will also become an efficient designer.

2. You will be productive.

You will be productive
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Taking notes will make your work a lot easier and faster helping you to be more productive. If you fail to take notes, you will lose your productivity. This happens because instead of immediately going into your work, you will still spend time looking for something important needed for the project like the design specifications. There is also a great tendency that you would go back to the first step again. You would have to contact the client again to ask them about it which would be irritating in their part.

3. You become more professional.

You become more professional

When you are into business, you have to make sure that you remember things like the names of your clients, the things you agreed, the offer you gave them and others. If not, you will look unprofessional for them. You should keep a list of clients and every detail about them pertaining to the job. This way, you will be more professional and you won’t sound like you do not know what you are doing.

4. You can comprehend better.

You can comprehend better
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Having everything in black and white is a big help for you to be able to understand everything. You will find it easier if you have a list of clients and the project specs, a list of work to do, a list of what you need and many others. You could also concentrate more by having a detailed list of everything.

5. You won’t create stress for yourself.

You won’t create stress for yourself
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Your work will run smoothly if you have taken note of all important things you need. You will certainly be stressed-out trying so hard to remember what important details you need. To do away with that, take note of important details so that you will hasten your work and you don’t have to worry much about the matter.

6. You will get the right design specifications.

You will get the right design specifications

In a meeting with the client, do not forget to take note of the design specifications. Without this, you won’t be able to work. Or if you pursue working without it, you might forget some things and might even mean more work for you due to many revisions. You’ll even end up with an unsatisfied client. It is important to get the right specs for this will also boomerang to your reputation as a designer.

7. You could refresh your memory.

You could refresh your memory
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If you think that you cannot forget anything in a day, you are wrong especially if you are very busy. So, resort to note taking in order to make sure that you will not skip anything. Like your tasks for the day, it should be well listed in a schedule so that you can do all of them on the proper time.

8. You could provide more evidence.

You could provide more evidence
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There are times that you would need evidences in order to relay information more effectively. You would need something to support your point and your argument. For instance, if you are having a problem regarding a client, you can show him your notes about what you have discussed about the project. It could be an essential evidence that could greatly help you.

9. You could focus on the purpose.

You could focus on the purpose
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This is of course very much important. Without looking into the purpose of your work, you will not be able to create an effective output. Having notes about a certain project can lead you to the right path and could help you to achieve what the client really needs.

10. You will not waste money.

You will not waste money
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Working in a project entails money. If you work on it without looking into a list of the important things you need for the project, then you might be wasting your money. Be sure that you will make use of everything you have invested in the right manner. Note-taking can surely be helpful.

It’s Your Turn Now

Some designers might not consider note taking as an important aspect in the design job but we hope that with the given reasons above, you were able to grasps the real value of it. How about you? Do you do note-taking? How did you benefit from it? Did you experience the above mentioned advantages of note-taking?

Kareen Liez

About the author: A Civil Engineer who has a construction business and a youth volunteer for a civic organization. She also contributes for a local newspaper due to her unwavering passion to write.

One comment

  1. Designers, Marketers and Publicists should learn Note-taking.

    Great article.

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