A LITTLE VOICE urges me to buy the 2009 IPA Yearbook and Diary, if only to chart the names of firms that we alive before the Irish economy took its first tumble in the 21st century. Then another voice inside me also points out the imperative behind paper diaries.
Paper diaries give me an easy overview of daily, weekly and yearly events. Sometimes you even get a tactile fold-out to chart important things.
Paper diaries oblige with clean white space to doodle or to craft visual design patterns. If they are compelling enough to share, I can use my digital still camera to snap them as macro images or I can use SCANR on my Nokia E90 to create shareable business card thumbnails.
With a paper diary, I don't need to keep searching for a wall socket to power up my hard drive.
My paper in my pocket (I use a pocket-sized Moleskine that is flexible when used as a bum cushion.) is well-suited for my stock of India ink and 2HB pencil lead.
Pulling out my black hip pocket (most of the time it's in my coat pocket) diary to book an appointment has the same visual signature of a Premier League referee booking an offender. And if it's deserving, the offending diary item can be awarded its own calendar alarm as well.
Karlin Lillington -- "Pen remains mightier than the digital sword" in the Business Technology section of The Irish Times, 2 January 2009. Karlin recorded comments from Dick Spring, Cathal Coffey, and denise cox, suggesting I share many of their viewpoints.
Previously on InsideView -- "Notebook Always" 3 January 2004.
