With laptops and phones and tablets, we feel like the allure of a truly great notebook is often lost with technology constantly bombarding us with apps and tools. We’re here to tell you that we can in fact have it all! The perfect notebook has several components that make it great, but in order to truly geek out on how important paper pages are to creativity, we should dissect the anatomy of a perfect notebook.

Size

Photo Credit: PapergeekMY

Too big and it’s going to be cumbersome, too small and you’re only writing couple words per page. The perfect notebook is large enough to accommodate all of your big ideas, your notes from important meetings, and your doodles when you need to kill some time and playing Lumosity games just won’t cut it. A legal pad is fine when you’re stuck in a conference room for hours on end, but a truly great notebook will fit in your purse because you don’t know when happy hour drinks will turn into a moment of creative genius.

Pages

Photo Credit: YellowPaperHouse

Ideally, the notebook of our dreams would have a mix of lined pages, graph paper, and blank pages. This mixture is the secret sauce to taking notes, sketching out designs, and keeping all the magic in one compact space. Surely there’s an app to plan out what your next website should look like or to work out an idea for an infographic, but it’s so much more tangible to make those creative decisions while your pen is touching paper.

Pockets

Photo Credit: BerwickDC

Sometimes we take notes on napkins, or pick up a card from a potential client or customer, or sometimes we see an ad we want to keep – that’s when pockets in notebooks are essential. It doesn’t have to hold a lot, but it’s definitely absurd to think that you’re not going to lose that important note you took with it smashed between a couple pages. Nope! A notebook with pockets is a lifesaver.

Integration

Photo Credit: Evernote Notebooks

We are not suggesting that you cut the technology out of your life, so the next thing we think is important in a notebook is integration with your mobile devices. Our favorite is Evernote and their Moleskine Family. With these notebooks, all of your notes can be taken in their sleek notebooks and uploaded to remain in Evernote’s database. It’s the best of both worlds.

Pens

Photo Credit: Varsity

Paper style and notebook size is really important, but we don’t want to forget to mention the importance of a good pen. Our favorite kinds are fountain pens and those can get pretty pricey. With a little research and a little luck, we’ve found a disposable option that doesn’t break the bank, but it still feels silky as it glides across the page – perfect for notes. The Varsity pens from Pilot are definitely worth a try!

When we’re searching for our next notebook, going to Poppin makes it all smiles. Check out their #workhappy pinboard for inspiration that goes even further then taking awesome notes.

Did we miss important parts to the perfect notebook? What notebooks and pens are your favorite to use and why?