Josh's recent video on his Franklin Covey planner (and how he doesn't like how it looks or feels) made me think about something I think about often when it comes to planners: form vs. function.
If the form (appearance and style) is not pleasing to us, we are much less likely to use the planner no matter how well it functions. (And I'm not using the royal We here, I know I'm not the only one who feels this way, right?)
And the reverse is true too: if a planner is beautiful and very pleasing to use, we will enjoy using it even if it doesn't function perfectly well for us.
In the case of Josh, he didn't care for the form (the appearance and the feel of the binder), but it worked so well for him he put up with it (while still searching for an alternative). And he used the planner less than he would have if he'd been using a planner he loved. It goes to show that even if something is highly functional, we can still feel dissatisfied with it if we don't enjoy using it.
Which is more important to you, form or function? Have you had a planner that worked well for you but you just didn't like it? Or have you had a planner you loved even if it didn't work perfectly for you?
And as always on Fridays feel free to discuss and/ or ask anything planner-related!
I have a planner that I love to hold and that works perfectly for me. In fact no matter what other planners I try, I run back to this one. I've run back to it so many times that I know changing is futile. But I still buy others thinking I can do better.
ReplyDeleteEven though I hate Moleskine paper, I still keep using the week+notes planner format that works so well for me. But I hate the Monday-start monthly calendar that always comes in the Moleskine, so I always also buy a somewhat overpriced Franklin Covey tabbed monthly insert because of the Sunday-start and because I really like the tabs. And I'm totally dazzled by those delicious Paperblanks planners you are showing us, but none of the formats seem like they would work for me. So (sigh) ... I guess I'm a function-over-form gal.
ReplyDelete- Tina
For me the FIlofaxes are ones that I love the look of but just don't work that well for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the simplicity of just having one bound book ready for 204.
I guess I go for function, too. I really want to use Filofax but can't seem to make it work. I just keep going back to my Franklin Covey.
ReplyDeleteLaurie,
ReplyDeleteI wish I could give my answer, but I feel as if today I'll say form and tomorrow I'll say function, and the next day I'll be back to form...
Is there anyone else out there that vacillates, too?
I guess I tend to be a function over form kinda gal - which I do find annoying at times. I got a gorgeous Ruby Deco one Christmas, and decided that was the one I really wanted to use, but set up my Domino as a test run of the planned setup first as I didn't want to sully my Deco with a set up that wouldn't work. The setup was good, so I moved across to the Deco - for a whole day... I couldn't get that to work for me on my desk at work for love nor money, I was gutted... :-(
ReplyDeleteFunction, seems to be the winner here.
ReplyDelete