Index Cards

Ever since I read the article on 43 folders Introducing the Hipster PDA, I have been enamoured by the concept of the Hipster PDA. For you youngsters, back in the days before the smartphone, (yes, really) companies Psion & Palm made little hand held computers that had address books, to do lists, notes and the like. They were cutting-edge, you know. Then, Nokia put the PDA together with a mobile phone (9000 Communicator), and the world changed forever.

There's something lovely about the idea of a productivity system that requires nothing more than some card and a writing implement. Pared down. Simple.

I'm doing lots of thinking around productivity as I'm talking about it every week. In addition to the long-running 1857 that I record with TJ Cosgrove, I am now recording Stationery Adjacent, a podcast at the intersection of analog and digital productivity, with Justin Twyford. Grab it wherever you get your podcasts, and give it a listen.

Where to get Index cards? Everywhere. WH Smith & Amazon for starters. NockCo make some (but don't stock international retailers any more - feel free to tell Brad he should start again). Baron Fig has some sexy ones (but don't stock international retailers - feel free to tell Joey he should). I also picked up some Foglietto, funky, colourful, French cards. I even backed Analog on Kickstarter, which is an Ugmonk project, with a dash of design (and a price point to match).

I'm not going to get into reviewing each - but I am using them as inspiration.

I'm going to come up with a bespoke system. I can call it "Nero's Notes". Oh. Wait. "Tick Cards"? I'll keep working on that.