[dorkbotdc-blabber] Next Make: Online Toolbox - Writing Tools

[R. Mark Adams, Ph.D.]

Gareth-

I echo many of the same things that the others have said, namely that 
pens and paper are a great foundation for subsequent digital development 
of ideas.  I took some pictures and put them on Flickr if you are 
interested: 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42433826@N00/sets/72157618348515284/ ( I 
pulled them out pb my briefcase and took the picture - note the custom 
"Delia Derbyshire" cover on my notebook...

I use a hard-bound sketch journal, with a Pentel 0.5mm mechanical 
pencil, pigma micron pens (a range of sizes, mainly the 005 (0.2mm), 02 
(0.3mm) and 08 (0.5mm), a nice fat Sharpie or Faber-Castell Pitt Brush 
Pen (I like the greys!) for contrast.  When I need a little color, I use 
  watercolor from pans.  My daughter Meg and I love the little field set 
from Winsor-Newton (fill it with Cotman colors on the cheap!
http://www.jerrysartarama.com/images/resized/386x450/PRODUCTS/WATERCOLORS/WINSOR_NEWTON/COTMAN_WATERCOLOR/0033142000000-ST-01-Set.jpg 
)

When in the lab/shop, I like to cover the whiteboard I built with ideas 
- since it is two-sided, I can spin it around and keep going...  I built 
it for about 50$US, and have loved it - see the instructions here:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Freestanding_Whiteboard/

For organizing, I also love my Hipster PDF DIY organizer.  I copied some 
useful pages from the Hipster PDF site at: 
http://www.diyplanner.com/templates/official/hpda  but I mostly use just 
blank and gridded cards.  I punch them on the upper left, and use a big 
split ring to hold it all together.  I "laminated" the top and bottom 
cards with packing tape and it has lasted me in my suit coat pocket for 
years.  I also like using colored cards as dividers.  My pen of choice 
is one of those el-cheapo four-color ballpoint pens.  It is pretty funny 
to pull that out in front of all the other execs who have 
multi-hundred-dollar fountain pens, but it works great and fits right in 
  my briefcase.

I have recently (over the last few months) started using a "Livescribe" 
digital pen, which captures everything you write on its special paper, 
along with optional voice annotation/recorded notes.  If you use it on a 
  Mac, like I do, you can generate PDFs in a snap of what you wrote, and 
then import it into other applications for refinement, sharing, etc.  It 
is like carrying around your computer and graphics tablet everywhere. 
Very accurate, good enough for plans, etc.  Give me a year with it and 
then I will know if it is permanently in my routine... :-)

Finally, I know that you didn't ask for software, but I use several 
applications almost all day every day (keep them all open on virtual 
desktops on my Mac and linux computers so I can quickly zap back and forth):

Inkscape - for vector illustrations and planning

Gimp - for more refined "painterly" designs and cleaning up the vector 
stuff for use

DIA - for planing flowcharts, etc. on demand

emacs - for catching notes, text, etc.

and python as a general purpose grapher, calculator, quick scratch pad, 
etc.  I have a library set that I have gotten used to that I 
automatically import (Image, numpy and scipy) so I can quickly hack out 
answers to numeric/programatic questions.


Too much fun- thanks for the questions!

-Mark

Gareth Branwyn wrote:
> For my next Make: Online Toolbox (Monday), I'm covering writing tools: 
> Pens, mechanical pencils, drawing/sketching tools (analog and digital), 
> notebooks, organizers, whiteboards -- whatever the tools are that you 
> use to plan your projects. I don't want to get TOO deep into things like 
> CAD programs and the like, more first-order tools. For instance, here is 
> MY toolset:
> 
> Maker's Notebook - for first level of project planning, drawing
> Moleskine Cahier pocket notebook (blank paper) - for on-the-go 
> writing/brainstorming
> Hipster PDA (3 x 5's on a binder clip) - Lists, quick notes. I keep one 
> of these all over the house - By my bed, by the TV, kitchen, in the 
> john, etc.
> Omnifocus PIM (on Macs and iPhone) for dayplanning/project outlining
> Evernote (on Macs and iPhone) for spoken notes, web content, 
> picture-notes, etc that all reside in the cloud)
> Varsity disposable fountain pen
> Pentel mechanical pencils
> 
> So, what's YOUR writing/planning toolset?
> 
> Gareth
> 
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-- 
| R. Mark Adams, Ph.D.       |   "Information is light.      |
| Computational Biologist    |    Information in itself,     |
| http://www.epotential.com  |    about anything, is light." |
| rmadams at epotential.com     |       - Tom Stoppard          |