Behind the Scenes
I need tools that keep me excited about organizing my life
I’m a neurodivergent with ADHD who loves cute things, colors, stationery, drawing, and writing. And I write down everything: notes, thoughts, ideas, lists, schedules – you name it! So when I get new stationery, I get an incredible rush of excitement and creativity. I can hardly wait to start using them! Unfortunately, there aren’t always enough opportunities to use stationery, and it just piles up in my drawers. That’s why digital stationery has been a lifesaver – I will never run out of it!
When I started school as a kid, I noticed I struggled to keep my focus on studying. Luckily I realized that visually interesting pages helped me concentrate better, so I started to decorate the generic, dull notebooks we got from school. Then, whenever homework started to tire me, I’d grab a set of glitter gel pens and make those pages shine bright!
I’ve learned that the right tools help me with starting to plan and organize, and beautiful design keeps me excited for a long time. This is why I want to create well-thought products which are also aesthetically pleasing.
Neurodivergent people need better tools
When I learned I have ADHD, I understood why I couldn’t do things the same way others around me could. I wanted to find better ways to execute daily tasks and build healthy routines. To do this, I needed to understand the needs and characteristics of my neurodiversity: why are some things harder for us to do? How can I remember deadlines? Is there a way to motivate myself to start a task I don’t feel like doing? How can I plan a task that doesn’t just consider complex thinking but takes advantage of it?
I started designing digital stationery to manage, plan, and organize everyday life. Most planners and templates are designed for neurotypical people and aren’t always the best for the neurodivergent. Many of us neurodivergent people suffer from executive dysfunction, which manifests as difficulties in starting and finishing tasks, setting goals and prioritizing, and setting a plan and following it through as intended. We need tools designed with neurodiversity in mind – and that’s what I’m here for!
My planner is my working memory’s best friend
As a solo entrepreneur, I have a lot to juggle, and my already terrible working memory gets overwhelmed quickly. Writing down all my thoughts and important things to remember, I’ve been able to concentrate more on the task at hand. After I started keeping a digital planner daily, I’ve been more relaxed, got more done, and had more time for people. It’s been a game-changer!
Digital tools allow more freedom
As much as I adore paper stationery, it can be too confining and unforgiving. I use digital stationery for creative writing, note-taking, planning, and brainstorming. I can easily erase, rewrite, and shift things around without the fear of tearing or smudging the paper. Everything is saved safely into a cloud service, and my desk is free from stacks of paper. Of course, there are days when I need to have the tactile feeling of paper stationery, but I always go back to digital.
Beautiful design, research, and testing
I get my inspiration from everyday life. I am a problem-solver by nature and want to help others when possible. As a designer, I always aim to make helpful, easy-to-use, attractive, high-quality products.
The design process from an idea to a finished product can take weeks or even months. I always begin the process with research. For example, creating a recipe template could mean interviewing my friends who enjoy cooking. What are their struggles, and what would they like to improve when organizing their recipes? I then allow my creativity to flow!
I do a lot of product testing throughout the process. I need to test if the product works in real-life situations the way it’s supposed to. This helps me refine the product.
My favorite part of the process is choosing colors! I’m very passionate about colors and enjoy finding and building color palettes. Creating the right design and illustrations gives me a lot of joy, and seeing how everything comes to life with the right colors is the best!