• I moved the day grid back to the left. The reason for this is to make it easier to “half fold” the page when you are using a binder to keep your forms; you can refer to the previous page a little easier. Plus, I have always liked this layout better. I can’t even remember why I changed it before.

• I’ve removed the references to the A B C D E time boxes, which also simplifies the design of the day grid. The benefits: less confusion about the letters, and more space for writing. There’s a corresponding change in the task trackers; no more mystery letters to mystify the user. If you were using the time boxing concept before, it is still be easy to apply; you just don’t have to deal with the lettering that I came up with before I knew that time boxing was already around.

• I’ve rewritten the encouraging prompts for the major tasks in a more “practical” tone of voice. I think they’re still supportive (a feature I like about the original form), but now they also provide helpful reminders to watch your energy levels when going for a massive day of (perhaps overoptimistic) productivity.

comparison

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free versions

These changes will be propagated to the free downloaded version, of course, when I do the 2010 design refresh. And yes, there will be an A4 version! However, the printed versions I’m making now will still be US Letter (8.5×11) until I figure out how to do fulfillment in Europe.

colors colors colors

I’m 70% sure that I will be reprinting the full color design, but I’ve also been looking at single-color versions as a possibility because they look pretty darn good in color. Check it out.

going to press

Yesterday I met with the commercial printer, Papergraphics, and got an account specialist assigned to me to finalize the details of the next print run. I was happy with them last time, and after a brief flirtation with another printer in Manchester ended with my customer service rep taking a job elsewhere, I decided to stick with the local company. Besides, a couple of my friends also use them and have been quite satisfied with the service.

I’ll be printing another 250 pads in a few weeks, and instead of selling them here on the website, I’ll be using Amazon Marketplace and Fulfillment by Amazon. What this means is that you’ll be able to find and order the pad right on Amazon.com (assuming I’ve set everything up correctly). I plan to write about the setup in a future blog post; it’s actually fairly straightforward once you figure out how to navigate Amazon’s maze of terminology.

advertising

The commercially printed pads will be advertising-free, but to support the development of the current and future forms I’m considering advertising or sponsorship for the free downloadable versions. Stylistically, the advertising might take the form of a single line of text inserted someplace on the form, perhaps near the Notes area. Even then, the eyeball stickiness factor is crazy high because users are actively scanning the form several times a day. If there are advertisers reading this and find the idea intriguing, feel free to contact me and we can start a conversation. If you are a reader that does NOT want to see advertising on these forms, I’d love to hear any rationale against it.