Understanding Notion: Key Things to Know
Before we get too far along here, let’s first talk about what Notion is and what it’s actually bringing to the table.
What is Notion?
Notion, at its core, is an all-in-one workspace. It’s a place where you can write, plan, collaborate, and get organized. It offers tools for note-taking, database handling, task management, and more. And its flexibility is its greatest asset, allowing you to create a customized workspace that caters to your needs and workflow.
Recently, Notion has expanded its offerings by launching a standalone calendar app, which integrates seamlessly with the rest of the Notion suite. This new calendar app comes with a built-in scheduling feature, similar to Calendly, and offers deep integration with Notion’s workspace. It’s designed to sync your work and personal calendars, providing a unified view of your schedule. This integration is particularly useful for web designers who often manage tight schedules and multiple project deadlines.
Notion is available for free and offers a fair amount of integrations and a fully collaborative environment. You can invite up to 10 guests to your workspace as well. For more advanced features, premium plans are available Starting with the Plus plan, billed monthly, which offers unlimited blocks, unlimited files, and up to 100 guests.
Key Features
Notion is super simple — and in some ways, bare bones — but it can be customized to do so much. As a general rule though, here are the basic features you should be aware of:
1. Integrated Workspace
One of the most significant advantages of Notion is its ability to centralize various aspects of work. Before integrating tools like Notion, many found their digital workspace fragmented – with tasks, schedules, and notes scattered across different platforms like Asana, Google Calendar, and various note-taking apps.
Notion’s integrations have changed this, allowing for a cohesive workspace where everything from project tasks and meeting schedules to notes can be organized and accessed in one place. No need to hop between apps, websites, or other tools — everything can be connected to then accessed from within Notion.
2. Wikis and Docs
Notion’s dynamic tools for creating and collaborating on documents and databases set it apart from traditional documentation tools. You can build structured knowledge management hubs, incorporate multimedia, and create actionable databases, too.
This makes Notion an interactive and flexible tool, transforming mere documentation into evolving resources. The above is the standard Wiki template included with all Notion accounts.
3. Customizable Templates
Templates in Notion are a game-changer, especially for web designers. These pre-built layouts can be customized to suit any project’s needs, whether it’s a to-do list, a project tracker, or a personal journal. The ability to share these templates makes collaboration smoother and more efficient.
Take the following, for example. This template is for a design mood board you can use to add images and designs that inspire you:
Customizable templates in Notion save time and effort, making it so you can create systems that work best for your workflow, rather than fitting into a pre-existing structure.
4. Desktop and Mobile App
With both a desktop application and a mobile version, Notion ensures that you can access your workspace from anywhere. The synchronization feature across devices ensures that any changes made on one device instantly update on all others.
5. Collaboration Tools
Notion’s collaboration tools are a standout feature, essential for web designers working in teams. These include real-time editing, comments, shared databases, and permission settings. This suite of tools streamlines collaboration, making it easier to work with team members, whether they’re in the same office or distributed globally.
You can even keep track of your meetings within Notion, take notes, and make agendas.
Why Notion is a Good Choice for Web Designers
The versatility and simplicity of Notion make it an excellent choice for web designers. Here are a few more reasons why:
- Centralized Workspace: It integrates project management, documentation, client communication, and brainstorming.
- Flexibility and Customization: Adapts to the varying needs of different projects and accommodates everything from simple checklists to complex roadmaps.
- Streamlined Website Design Process: Simplifies design with minimalist features. Notion can serve double-duty as an admin tool for managing workflow and as an outward-facing portfolio or website, if you want.
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Engaging Visual Elements: Supports multimedia integration and aids in establishing strong brand identity with customizable covers and icons
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Efficient Content Management: Notion relies on databases and a block system for systematic content organization. This makes it easy to create well-structured content that’s easy to read and navigate.
In-Depth Look: How Web Designers Can Put Notion to Work
Web designers can transform their workflow using Notion’s diverse features and integrations. Here’s how Notion can be effectively used in creating and managing web design projects.
Project Management
Notion is super efficient for managing various aspects of design projects. It allows web designers to organize their workflows, track project progress, and set deadlines.
You can create a structured approach for each project. The platform’s database feature is particularly beneficial. With it, you can create project-specific databases that include details like project names, statuses, deadlines, and checklists, and client information.
The real-time collaboration feature in Notion enhances communication within design teams and with clients, too. It offers shared workspaces where both designers and clients can view, edit, and comment on projects.
This transparency and collaborative environment streamline feedback and approvals, reducing the back-and-forth typically associated with design revisions. Everything is in one place — including the mockups (or links to them).
In the below example, a project or task’s progress can be modified. And when it’s changed, the whole team would be notified:
Content and Link Management
Notion serves as an efficient tool for organizing and accessing essential links, resources, and design tools. Designers can create dedicated pages or databases to store links to resources such as design inspiration, guidelines, and asset libraries.
This centralized repository is easily accessible and can be shared with the team or clients. And if you use a variety of tools and software, Notion’s integration capabilities are a significant advantage. The platform can be linked with other tools like Google Drive, Trello, and Slack, providing quick access to all necessary tools and information in one place.
Leveraging Templates and Systems in Notion
Notion offers a range of templates and systems that can significantly enhance the workflow and creativity of web designers. These templates cater to various aspects of design and project management, streamlining processes and ensuring efficient work management.
And while you can access several powerful templates within Notion, there are many more available from third-parties that done a lot of the setup work for you.
The Designer’s Workspace – Notion Template Kit is a good example. It’s simple but comes with all the templates for creating wikis, docs, calendars, brand guidelines, invoicing, and more. Basically, every template is pre-customized to what a designer would need for managing the design process and managing a design business.
Of course, there are templates that are more fleshed out than this as well. Like this CRM template for web designers user _windrose_ shared on Reddit:
This template offers numerous integrated databases, to-do lists, budget management, and a project tracker.
Design Team-in-a-Box is another free option worth checking out.
And to give you a sense of what’s possible with these templates, this personal home productivity template illustrates just how customized Notion can be:
Notion Can Work for Your Web Design Projects
Notion stands out as a versatile and powerful tool for web designers. It brings together project management, content organization, and collaborative features under one roof. And not only does it streamline the workflow through customizable templates and systems, but it also enhances creativity and efficiency in managing design projects.
Whether you’re working on intricate website designs, managing client relationships, or keeping your invoices in order, Notion’s flexibility and integration capabilities can significantly elevate your productivity and organization. And you can even use it to manage your personal life, too. Now all there’s left to do is give it a try!
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