The Art of Keeping Notes
Today, we're going to talk about the art (and importance) of keeping notes when developing cosmetics products. I'm not going to tell you what to do – just show you how I am able to zippy-fast find exactly what I'm looking for – even if it goes back over a decade.
Maybe you'll find some of this useful – even if you prefer working 100% digitally.
Personally, I find pen and paper synonymous with thinking, wondering, developing and finalizing an idea. I'm old fashioned that way (as is pretty evident from that pic of a few of my notebooks up there).
Developing a System
As my collection of notebooks grew over the years, a system of symbols, shorthand-type doodles, and 'code' developed all by itself.If I don't allow myself to get sidetracked reading my 'cosmetics diaries', it's actually easy to find exactly what I need to check within minutes.
Below is a page from mid-development of a lip & cheek tint stick. Some of this looks like doodles and random colors, but because it's my own system of doodles and colors, I can 'read' where else I need to look to trace the development of this formula both backwards and forwards.
Doing All That Digitally
If you are a digital wiz and want to develop your own system, it's easy to manage, organize and keep track of your notes with tags, color codes, and/or by naming your files in a related manner.If you use standard (office type) software, you may be doing a bit of extra work, but you also get to tailor everything to your needs.
Tip: Never overwrite a digital file with changes to a formula or you'll loose valuable information! A year (or even 2 weeks) later, you will have forgotten why you changed what you changed and risk repeating mistakes/undesired results. Instead, keep a copy of every version and label accordingly (LIPSTICK-V1, LIPSTICK-V2 etc).
Do Tell
How do you keep track of your product development? Are you a pen and paper person or a digital wiz?
PS: The formula and how to for the pictured lip and cheek tint stick is available in this book. If you don't want the entire book and are willing to shell out $5, it's also available as a single formula right here.
Comments
One thing I don't have, though... is page numbers!!! I love that idea, and I love the idea of putting a "see updated version" note at the bottom. I'm almost at the end of my very first notebook, so I'll do that with the next one. Thanks for the tip!
I'm also starting a notebook just for checking old favorite recipes to see if I still like them. I've learned a decent amount in such a short time, so I'm thinking it will be fun (and necessary) to go over them and make sure they're the best they can be. Am I weird for loving the note taking part as much as the actual making?
-- Sarah
As I read in another blog, I experienced exactly what you said-my first product was perfect, wonderful, and I had little clue how to make it gain as I wrote little down, very messy notes, didn't weigh things. Getting better :)
PS I love your blog. Funny, informative, down to earth and incredibly helpful.