(last edited on September 20, 2014 at 3:49 pm)
:https://davidseah.com/archives/2007/07/22/update-on-pre-printed-emergent-task-planner-pads/
About 15 percent of Emergent Task Planner preorderers have said that they would prefer a yearless version, so they don't end up with a stack of "outdated" 2007 forms.
On the other hand, this doesn't seem to have bothered the other 85% of people who have indicated that they'd buy form pads when they become available, and a few people have even said that having that "officially printed year" gives a satisfying feel to the form.
Here's a compromise solution. What do you think? I it retains most of the "officialness" while allowing us not to waste forms until 2010. By then, I'm sure we'll be doing yearly pre-printed journals, and the issue will be moot.
Comments welcome!
If you'd like to change your order, go ahead and post it here. Please include the state/country you would be ordering from. Again, we are probably only going to run the US LETTER size and handle continental United States shipping only, but if you'd like to know when the A4 version and international shipping will be available, go ahead and post a comment and I'll take your email address down from it. Or you can use the email contact form if you'd prefer to keep your comments private.
For information about the preordering process and pricing, check out original [preorder post]. Thank you!
17 Comments
I want 3
email above
location NY NY USA
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Instinct says no – just doesn’t catch the eye right.
While I’d still prefer you had no year at all – I’d rather it were all or nothing (“2007” or blank).
Also if you do end up going this route, maybe make the “8” thicker than the “7”, since there’s less time left on that one.
Fine with me.
I really like the pre-printed year. If I’m going to be marking up the year anyway, I’d rather have “2007” for the next 5 months, and then just cross it out and write “2008” if I still have sheets left over. The compromise is clever, but it doesn’t strike me as “pretty.”
This solution makes sense logically but is not very visually appealing! Someone would have a similar looking form if they just wrote an 8 on top of 7 so just let them do that and leave the 2007 pretty for everyone else.
I really like this idea… it’s similar to other ideas i’ve had for how I track other things… I wonder though would a lighter colour (is that possible) for the 7 imposed on 8 imposed on 9 be better? Or a more LED type be better? My prior “pre-order” still stands… :)
I’m a little cold on this as well…I tried to make the 7-8 merge gracefully. Maybe I don’t actually need the 8.
So far, I’m seeing about 15% of people saying that they really would prefer the “write-in” year thing. The majority of orderers, though, don’t seem to mind, so this might be a case of just going with the design as is (with the year). I’d like to go with an individually-dated approach as well using Print On Demand, but we’re still looking into how this will work, and a redesign might be necessary.
My gut feeling: the whole point of printing the forms is to make something substantial and pretty, and I think the solid year there does look better. Functionally, it’s a little wasteful, but you CAN just cross out the year and write the new one in.
Another approach might be to sell ‘em blank, then provide a template PDF file or software utility that you can use to pre-date all the forms yourself. That adds an extra step for the home user if they want THE PRETTY, which goes against the idea of having pre-printed forms.
I’ll take another pass and see what the non-dated version of the form looks like. Maybe I can do cool things will lines and boxes instead :-)
Just leave the last digit a “fill in box”
It lasts for another 2.5 years, by then you’ll have sold and developed many more forms and sheets (besides if we’re reading you now, we’re probably going to buy anyway). This is after all your first product. Design it to last a bit (2.5 years seems more than enough, some people may cheap out and just copy them, then in 2010 they’ll have to buckle down and re-purchase).
When do we put in official orders (and official pricing w/shipping, we’re chomping at the bit here!)
Less chat more action!! (you can make changes on version 2)
Time to enter a world of effort powered income!:)
My order would still stand regardless. However, I agree with Fred: Use either “2007” or “200__”….
But, just trust your gut, David, and get ‘er rolling!
-D.
Dave
Great stuff – I’ve been looking into your pceo for a few days and will start using it soon. I would love to see you get these printed – I think you have a great concept here. Let me know when they’re available, I probably would prefer a smaller format , like an index card size.
I’m with Fred, too! Ideally I prefer the entire date box blank, since I tend to use a 7/25/07 format, but if you are going to preprint the year then I think 200_ (or “200” in the green with a white box for the last digit, perhaps) looks cleaner than the seven superimposed over the eight. The whole form is so sleek, and that’s part of it’s appeal – don’t clutter it with the date! Personally I’d always be seeing the digit I hadn’t colored in as a visual intrusion.
I love your “bubbles” to fill in on other forms – could you design some pattern of bubbles – 10 little bubbles in rows, and you can fill in 7 of them, or 8 of them? I bet it drives some people crazy, but it would be fun, and fits with your aesthetics.
Either way you choose, I’m in for 2 as originally requested.
Hey Dave!
I’d love 3 (Ca, US), and I’ll order more when the new 08 form comes out. I actually like the 07/08 as an idea, it reminds me of the nixie-tube displays, but sadly I don’t think it’s the solution for this problem. I’m so used to writing out the date dd/mm/yy that I find the printed 2007 redundant.
Grotepier
How about nine small circles? You just color in the number of circles for the last digit of the year. Kind of like the old IBM bubble charts.
…dave
Hi Dave,
For me there has to be a definitive stance taken, printed or not printed. Both have design ++ and—points, but the half way house of using both print & pencil, would for me, stand out like a sore thumb on a paper based UI masterpiece.
Hopefully an international delivery option, even for US letter sized pads can be worked out.
Rob
I DEFINITELY DO NOT like the fill-in 7 & 8. It would actually deter me from purchasing the pad. :( I also find that making a pad for 2007, that will become waste within 5 months, isn’t ideal. I’m neat. I don’t want a pad on my desk to look outdated and have a scratched out number. Why not make it blank? It’s the best business choice for you and is perfect for your clients. :)
The date dilemma will not keep me from buying the forms. The design of the form is what is most important. I have been printing these out for about 6 months and still actually use them, which is rare. At the end of the day, my forms have strikethru’s, stars and the like. I find that when I’m taking time to make my ETP nice and neat that I’m actually procrastinating and should be actually working. Perfectionism is a killer. David, Listen to your gut and get the product out the door.