Day 27: Slim-bound ETP Mini Notebooks
I got pricing information for a first round of notebook prototypes from Papergraphics, my trusty local full-service printing company; they print and bind the various pre-printed planners on Amazon (here’s the European link). Frank, the owner, made me a couple of these spiral-bounded A5-sized notebooks with thin textured cardboard covers and the same high-quality 80# paper from the current pads. Check it out! I thought I would pass out from excitement.
While these are pretty cool, I’d like something thicker and more durable, something that will stand up to daily abuse in someone’s backpack or purse. The tricky part is sourcing and pricing all the various options; Frank has been great tracking down suppliers and giving me pricing options. I could use some help, though, in understanding what people would like to see.
If you’re interested in a half-size ETP notebook, please take this short survey on Survey Monkey and let me know what you’re interested in. I will really appreciate it! It’s a significant dollar investment to produce a run of notebooks, so I’d like to make sure that what I put out there will sell through. You’ll get to see how everyone voted after you fill out the survey.
Thanks for your help! I’ll find some way to make it up to you :)
This article is part of a series in which I am challenging myself to create a new product every day for the month of February. The Challenge Page lists all the products in one place. Check it out!
Erik 
Federico Figueredo 
be chappell 
Karina 
Throw this on Kickstarter. This is a perfect fit to cover your investment and get it done.
David – I’ve experimented with binding my own get-ups and I prefer wire-binding to spiral-binding because, when the notebook is open, the spiral-binding offsets the verso from the recto and I don’t like the appearance. I was unable to find wire-binding at Staples and Office Depot, only at Office Max. It comes in different gauges dependent upon the number of pages bound. I do think that binding the ETP is brilliant, pads are too disposable. I save all my journaling/tracking, etc. Currently my day planning is done in a large Moleskine cahier. The thinness allows portability and the size allows for lots of notes. Keep up the good work!!
These look pretty sweet! If I was a large corporation concerned about improving my workforce’s productivity, I would buy these in bulk and distribute them across the entire company. With my company logo custom branded & embossed right on the covers too of course! :)
Another gem, Dave… Rock on.
A fantastic idea! I’ve been using the daily ETP in conjunction with a ‘Green Book’ for longer-term plans and continuity; a bound spiral book like this would be awesome for continuity and tracking daily progress/thoughts on specific tasks.
Much obliged! Rob
After you posted your ETP planner, I started using it in my classroom. I teach a foreign language at the high school level and my schedule usually gets really crazy. Even though I had a traditional planner, I was having problems that I would just list things… then I would start circling or highlighting to denote priority. Let’s just say that it got really messy, really fast.
I actually came back on here ’cause I thought that maybe you were already selling this. I completed the survey but was wondering… could you show the options of what each one of the bindings will look like? But what Nancy said, I would prefer wire-binding from experience.
Thanks for all you do! Karina
This is awesome Dave! It is just what I am looking for. I like the idea of a soft/ cardboard cover, ( like Field Notes or a basic Composition book) so it can be doodled on or personalized in some way. Nice work!
I’ve only recently started using the ETP but I’m very pleased with it. It’s not only a useful tool but it’s a well designed one; it’s pleasing to my brain and more likely to get used.
I’d love the chance to get a product in the vein of these notebooks. Two reasons: I could use the ETP in full technicolor and the idea of a bucket that collects my daily sheets is appealing.
I pretty much despise side bound notebooks. I can’t stand the wiring beneath my hand when I’m reaching the edges of the pages on the left side.
I’m curious: are the ETPs on these notebooks printed on both sides? Is there a chance for a print-on-demand version with the spirals on the top? (… I realize the general public might not be as obsessive as I am with their writing tools)
I second the kickstarter idea!
[below is copied from my comments in the Survey Monkey survey, posted here in case anyone wanted to respond]
I think there are at least two ways this could go that would appeal to me. The first would be a glue-top pad of these printed on relatively cheaper paper. This would encourage me to use the tool as a disposable resource and would make me personally more productive as I would not be as stressed about being pristine with my use of the product. This fits with the emergent mentality as I see it, as these aren’t really designed to be used for advanced planning as far as I can tell. Important notes can be transferred to another more permanent project binder before tossing a given day’s sheet.
On the other hand, a sewn signature with cardboard cover (like cahier) would be a nice way to have a log of what was accomplished on a given day, both for record keeping (if this matters to you) and for the sense of accomplishment when looking back. In this case, double-sided pages would be nice to maximize the numbers of days you could put in a notebook; blank space is not that helpful to me as I already have blank notebooks/digital spaces in which I update specific projects with progress notes. Thicker paper would also be nice both for the luxurious feel and to prevent the planner or pen ink from being visible on the other side.
Good luck!