Workflow: Talking to your Supernote

Streamlining Creativity: Using the Drafts App and Supernote for Seamless Idea Capture

As someone who’s constantly brainstorming and thinking of ideas, I’ve often faced the challenge of not having the right tool to capture a fleeting thought. That changed a few months ago when I incorporated the Drafts app into my workflow, pairing it with my trusty Supernote. This dynamic duo has revolutionized how I capture, organize, and edit my thoughts, ensuring no idea slips through the cracks.

It was mid afternoon day in April when a solution for a project I had been working on for a few months hit me. The only problem was that I was outside and in a torrential downpour. I couldn’t exactly use my Supernote at the time ( unless Ratta comes out with a waterproof version, pretty please?). I had already been accustomed to using Drafts or voice memo for a few years. But the idea of combining Drafts and Supernote never crossed my mind until that moment.

Drafts App: The Perfect On-the-Go Tool

The Drafts app is a fantastic tool for capturing ideas quickly and efficiently. Its voice-to-text feature is a game-changer, allowing me to dictate my thoughts whenever inspiration strikes—whether I’m in the car, on a walk, or just without my Supernote. There are only two other devices that I will carry or have on me more than my Supernote and that is my Apple Watch or iPhone.

There have been countless times when an idea pops into my head during moments I least expect—like standing in line for coffee or in the middle of a conversation. Or in my case when I’m traveling and can not reach my Supernote.With the Drafts app, I can just pull out my phone or use my Apple Watch to record that thought instantly. No fumbling for my Supernote or worrying about forgetting the idea later.

Supernote Manta: The Long-Form Editor

Once I’ve captured my thoughts in Drafts, I convert the text to a PDF and I sync the PDF to my Supernote, where I can refine, expand, and polish those ideas. The Supernote is my go-to device for writing, offering a distraction-free environment that feels as close to pen and paper as possible.

This workflow bridges the gap between spontaneous inspiration and focused editing. Especially helpful in my distillation process of my Second Brain Workflow ( Part 3).

Drafts serves as the catch-all net, while Supernote becomes the canvas where those initial thoughts are turned into something meaningful.

A Workflow Tailored for Travelers

Especially helpful when you have to push your “Tour Guide” around while trying to remember details.

Traveling is one of the scenarios where this system truly shines. On my last trip, I relied heavily on this workflow. While on tours, I couldn’t always pause to jot down every detail, but I didn’t want to lose those rich descriptions, intriguing facts, or personal reflections. Instead, I used Drafts to record quick notes or dictate my thoughts in real-time.

Later, when I had downtime, I transferred those notes to my Supernote, transforming them into cohesive travel journals or blog drafts. This is primarily how I used to capture my user experience with Manta.

This approach let me stay in the moment during my travels without sacrificing the ability to document and preserve those experiences later.


Why This Workflow Works

1. Accessibility: Drafts is always on hand, whether through my phone or watch, making it effortless to capture ideas.

2. Efficiency: The speech-to-text feature eliminates the need for typing, speeding up the process of capturing thoughts.

3. Seamless Integration: Sharing notes from Drafts to Supernote is smooth and straightforward.

4. Enhanced Focus: Supernote’s minimalist interface is perfect for editing without distractions.


Final Thoughts

This workflow has become an integral part of my creative process. It’s a system that adapts to my lifestyle, whether I’m on the go, traveling, or working from home. If you’re looking for a way to capture and refine ideas efficiently, I highly recommend giving this a try. With Drafts and Supernote, you’ll never miss an idea again.

Have you tried a similar setup? I’d love to hear how you capture and manage your ideas!

Ideas:

-Speech to Text

Workflow: Meeting minutes

One notebook for all meetings

Using one continuous notebook will be easier for retrieving notes from a certain meeting

These are the features used on the Supernote for this workflow:

  • Template

  • Layers

  • Title

  • Keywords

  • Star

  1. Create a new notebook

  2. Apply the meeting minutes template

  3. On the main layer fill the following out:

    1. Put the date and turn the date into a title

    2. Give a name to the meeting

    3. Agenda

    4. Action Items

  4. Use the lasso tool to create keywords

    1. I use this feature to create new projects on the horizon discussed in the meeting

  5. Create a star next to any action items assigned to you

  6. Create a new layer and label “Agenda”

    1. This is the layer where all the notes from the meeting is written

  7. Optional: Create a layer and label “Planning”

    1. I use this layer to layout the necessary steps I need to take in order to achieve what was discussed on the “Agenda” layer

  8. Optional: Create a layer and label “Updates”

    1. List any updates that may occur

  9. Toggle between layers to track the progress of the agendas discussed in the meeting.

Workflow: Project Management

Project management with supernote

It will help if you outline what the phases or stages of a project are in your workflow beforehand.

These are the features used on the Supernote for this workflow:

  • Template

  • Layers

  • Title

  • Keywords

  • Star

  1. Create a notebook and use the project template

  2. Create layers and name each layer after a phase/stage in the project plan

    1. Write out each step involved within the phase/stage as a to do

    2. Write out departments or divisions this project involved on the main layer

    3. Toggle the layers to hide and display to track the progress of the project

  3. Use the Lasso tool to create the following

    1. Titles- Name of project

    2. Keywords- I don’t create keywords for all. I only create keywords for projects that are closer to being completed or currently working on.

    3. Star- Use it as a way to prioritize important to do’s within a project. Use sparingly, not everything has the same urgency.

Project Management Workflow Video

Workflow: Studying with the Supernote

Part 3 of 3

Step 5- Time Tracking

Have a goal of how much time you wish to spend studying for the week

  1. Go back to the Study Unit_ , find the completed sections and turn those sections into an Event

  2. Put the amount of time spent on studying that section into the Calendar of the Supernote

    1. List the amount on the Weekly View and use the last box as a Total amount for the week

Step 5 Video

Step 6- Feedback and Reflection

  1. Take a screenshot of Study Unit _ and set as screensaver

    1. If I did not meet my goal for the week, I use the screenshot as a reminder to tackle my missed goals the upcoming week.

Step 6 Video

Workflow: Studying with the Supernote

Part 2 of 3

Step 3 - Questions

  1. Create a new page in the same notebook with the Cornell Template again

  2. Write down all the questions from the section on the main layer

  3. Create a new layer and label it “Explanations”

    1. Write down the explanations for the questions on this layer

  4. Toggle between layers to administer a pop quiz to yourself

  5. Put a Star next to these pages with the questions for easy access from TOC

Bonus Step- Add more layers

  • Adding more layers can help expedite the development of comprehension

Step 3 Video

Step 4 - Checklist

  1. After completing each section go back to the TOC and mark these sections as complete

Step 4 Video

Workflow: Studying with the Supernote

Part 1 of 3

This is going to be a 3 part series. In this scenario an actual physical book is used to study with. Workflows and entries with different scenarios will be discussed in future posts.

Features on Supernote that are used in this workflow:

  • Table of Contents aka TOC

  • Titles, Keywords, Star and Events

  • Templates

  • Layers

  • Calendar

  • Screenshot

  • Screensaver

Step 1- Creating the TOC

  1. Create a new notebook and apply the checklist template

  2. Replicate the table of contents from the book by chapters on the Supernote

  3. Recreate the breakdown of each section as a “Study Unit _”

    1. Leave space for “Date" as completed

  4. Turn all the headers into Titles

Step 1 Video

Step 2- Comprehension and Note Taking

  1. Start a new page on the same notebook and apply the Cornell Template

  2. Read a section from the book and note all the important items on the Supernote

  3. Turn the name of the section into a Keyword

  4. Create a new layer and rename it to “Answers”

    1. On the “Answers” layer, write the meaning of the important item in your own words.

  5. Toggle between the “Main” and “Answer” layer to give yourself a test

Step 2 Video