Review of Notion - the all-in-one productivity tool for work and life

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Install this app and forget about Google Docs, Evernote, Trello and a dozen other programs.

What is Notion

Notion combines a huge number of tools in one. Notes and to-do lists, documents and spreadsheets, kanban boards and knowledge bases - everything that we have to deal with on a daily basis is here.

The service presents all this in the form of a single workspace. Like LEGO pieces, it's easy to add the pieces you want and assemble your ideal productivity tool for storing ideas, planning, and collaborating with colleagues.

Compare Notion to a hybrid of Evernote, Google Docs, Trello, and Todoist. The main goal of the application is to replace many services for solving specific problems in order to make work easier and more convenient.

Instead of juggling websites and switching between software interfaces, Notion allows you to run all processes in a clean, universal environment and keep them under control.

How does this tool work

It is difficult to imagine a convenient operation with so many functions. But in fact, Notion's interface is even more minimalistic than that of the individual programs it replaces.

All content is stored here on pages that consist of various blocks - the main essence of the service. They can be texts, lists, code, images, or links.

Blocks can be easily transformed at any time, turning a bulleted list into a checklist and text into a separate page, code block, or quote in a second.

Several others can be collected on one page, which in turn can hide inside multi-level drop-down lists. You can add tables, kanban boards, wikis and databases to them.

This opens up almost limitless possibilities for putting anything on the shelves. To navigate through the records, a sidebar with a tree structure is used, conveniently displaying all the content, as well as a quick search with tips.

When you create a new file, a dialog opens where you can start from a blank page or choose one of the many ready-made templates for a variety of purposes.

When you click on

/

a command menu opens, which serves to add basic blocks like subheadings, lists and separators, as well as reminders, tables, boards and calendars.

In addition, embedding media and files from various services is available here, including Google Drive, GitHub Gist, Framer, Figma, and many others.

Getting acquainted with Notion for the first time, it is quite difficult to understand its concept, so the developers made a live one, which is available without registration right in the browser window and works exactly the same as in the application itself.

What Notion can be used for

All functions of Notion are divided by the creators into four main components: Notes & Docs, Knowledge Base, Tasks & Projects and Spreadsheets & Databases. The first is positioned as an alternative to Google Docs and Evernote and is used to work with texts and notes.

The second is intended to replace the GitHub Wiki and Confluence and helps build knowledge bases. The third takes over the functions of Trello, Asana and Jira, respectively, making it easier to work with tasks and projects. Finally, the latter replaces Google Sheets and Airtable and serves to create tables and databases.

1. Notes and documents

For organizing notes and working with documents, Notion has everything you could wish for. From a web clipper and convenient snippets of added links to a functional editor with support for Markdown markup and media insertion.

Any content you create can be shared with others and collaborated on in real time. At the same time, version control, comments and access control are available.

2. Knowledge bases

Without any skills in Notion, it's easy to make a user-friendly and well-readable wiki. To do this, just create a blank page and place others on it. Their headers will act as links, and they can contain anything inside, including other subpages.

On the main page, you can add sections, and the wiki itself is easy to link with other knowledge bases. However, each page can be styled with covers and emojis that appear next to the title and make navigation easier.

3. Tasks and project management

There are tons of options available for organizing tasks. Simple things are faster with checklists and nested lists, and complex projects are easier with Kanban boards.

The latter look and work exactly the same as in Trello, and even allow you to transfer projects from there in one click. In addition, there are road maps, a calendar and a weekly planner.

4. Tables and databases

In terms of tables, Notion can replace Google Sheets and Excel, but only for not very complex and basic things. Although, if you do not need sophisticated math formulas, the built-in capabilities will suffice.

Tables can be created from scratch, imported from other applications, and inserted into documents and placed on pages.

What are the scenarios for using the tool

The most common use case for Notion is for taking notes and writing texts, but there are more uses for it.

In the built-in gallery alone, there are 20 ready-made templates for various needs, covering almost any task. However, thanks to the concept of the constructor, you can always collect a unique template for your goals.

The main beauty of Notion is that you can organize your life and work by combining all daily processes in a single, convenient service.

Besides the obvious notes, task manager, project management, and knowledgebases, the app has a ton of other use cases. To understand the possibilities, here are some interesting options as an example:

• Repository - Collect ideas, links to articles, videos and other information that needs to be processed later.
• Goals - Map out what you want to achieve and check the list to stay on track.
• Household chores - write down plans, save ideas you like for renovation and improvement.
• Travel - Collect information about upcoming trips and places you want to visit.
• Finance - control receipts, track payments and expenses.
• Editorial Calendar - Schedule posts for your blog or channel.
• Workout Log - Track your activities, track progress, keep a food diary.

What about synchronization and the presence of mobile applications

Notion is available on all platforms and works both in apps and in the browser. In addition to desktop clients for Mac and PC, there are also mobile versions for iOS and Android that offer similar functionality.

All content is stored in Notion's own cloud and synchronized between devices, and appears almost instantly when editing.

What turned out in the process of use

I've heard about Notion a long time ago. I installed a Mac app twice, tried to learn it and start using it, but both attempts were unsuccessful.

I mainly work with texts, so I expected to take notes and write draft articles in Notion. With short notes, as well as with to-do lists, it turned out easy, but with the texts it did not work.

I really missed the full support for Markdown and even more - the font display settings: in the editor there are only three typefaces, two sizes of fonts and margins.

I believe that it makes no sense to use it without transferring all processes to Notion, since the whole harmonious concept of a single space breaks down. Therefore, I continue to use Bear, in which I write texts, keep notes and keep simple lists.

But at the same time, I keep a close eye on Notion and wait for more settings to appear. Still, the application is very powerful and promising, and the idea of a universal tool is tempting for me.

Our editor-in-chief has done better. He enjoys using Notion and here's what he says about it.

In order for Notion to start working, you need to spend several hours setting it up: study templates, deal with mechanics, watch videos on YouTube, come up with use cases. It is long and tedious in places.

But! As soon as you customize Notion for yourself, the fairy tale begins: other applications for notes and tasks will no longer be needed. Tables, checklists, text formatting with blocks - there are so many hidden features here that it blows away when you find something new.

I ran out of space after a month, but thanks to the referral program and a couple of posts, I have two years of subscription.

How much does Notion cost

Notion can be used for free, but by and large this option is only suitable for acquaintance. In the free account, synchronization works and all functions are available, and the catch lies in the limitation of 1,000 content blocks.

This is enough for a start, but if you transfer all processes to the application, the limit will quickly end.

A paid subscription removes all restrictions, and also opens the version history, access settings and priority technical support. If you sign up for an annual membership, a personal account will cost $ 4 per month, and if you work in a team, you will have to shell out $ 8 per person.

In this case, after registration and installation of applications, 15 dollars are charged, which can be spent to pay for the subscription. Additional bonuses are given for inviting friends - in this case, you get $ 5, and a friend - $ 10.

By the way, if you want, register using the link, if not, then there is a non-referral one below.

What is the bottom line

Notion is a really powerful tool, having mastered the capabilities of which, you can establish personal and work affairs. The service saves time and helps to be more productive due to a single space in which notes, documents, cases and projects are collected. As a matter of fact, it has no analogues with equal functions.

But don't flatter yourself, because Notion is just a tool and it won't do all the work for you. With its help, you can achieve success, but only for those who are used to putting everything on the shelves and are ready to spend time organizing their records.

pros

• Versatility - replaces a lot of different applications and services.
• Collaboration - You can publish documents, providing link access even to those who are not registered.
• User-friendly interface - despite the abundance of functions, everything is at a glance.
• Cross-platform - access from any device is possible.

Minuses

• Complexity - due to the large number of functions, figuring out what and how to do is not so easy.
• Weak typography - font display settings are very sparse, almost nonexistent.
• Lack of localization - along with the difficulty of mastering for some, this will be a problem.