Note-taking during design reviews

Finding the method that works best for you.

For a long time I have debated the best way of taking notes when working in a Design project. To then realize there isn’t such thing as “the best way”.

There are a few different approaches — taking notes on a computer vs. a notebook, taking written vs. visual notes, capturing comments thoroughly vs. high-level. Each designer needs to try different methods to be able to find out what works best for them.

Over the course of my career I’ve tried it pretty much every possible way. When I was younger, I would capture everything I heard. Every single detail. To the point I would even ask people to hold on for a second before continuing with their comments so I could finish whatever I was capturing.

I then realized how fast I was able to take notes on a computer (probably applies to most people), and tried it for some time. The benefit of being able to move things around and group feedback into different buckets was definitely an advantage compared to notebooks.

On the other hand, I realized how taking notes on paper helped me find things much faster; there’s something about creating a spatial memory of where the note was written that really helps on indexation. You can also easily add a doodle, a drawing, a pyramid chart — anything — next to your notes. This might sound a bit supernatural, but looking at the region of the page where the note was written can even help you remember more details about the context at the time: who was sitting next to you in the room, who was doing what, where you were looking at.

At some point in my career, with the need of joining more meetings on a given day, I realized I would take less and less notes. Luckily, I have always worked with pretty detail-oriented PMs that would help capture meetings notes and share them back with the team.

But taking notes is also a demonstration of interest.

It shows you care about what you’re hearing.

What I found that works for me is capturing only the broad themes of what is being said — and intentionally ignore the details a bit.

At the end of a one-hour meeting, I will have written about 10 words on paper. I’ll just capture the broader theme (e.g. “Personalization”), and then take the proper time after the meeting to reflect on what was said. I don’t consider myself to have a good memory (I can’t remember exactly who said what, and in what order), but I’m good at remembering the zeitgeist of the meeting and the ideas that got the most excitement. That has proven to be enough for me.

The point is: you are rarely going to make a final decision in a meeting. Group discussions are great to give everyone a chance to raise their concerns and list points to be considered. But only when you go back to your computer you will really be able to test out whether their suggestions work or not, and think through the details that were not discussed.

This is what works for me. What works for you?