Heraldeecreates
Purposeful Designs
DIGITAL BULLET JOURNAL
PROJECT TYPE
Product Design
STRATEGIES
Branding, UX/UI Product Design
TOOLS
Affinity Designer, Affinity Publisher, Procreate
OVERVIEW
A bullet journal is a journaling method created by Ryder Caroll. It combines the functions of planners, diaries, and to-do lists in one system. The users are also encouraged to get creative and design the pages as they please. Traditionally, journaling is done using pen and paper, but with advances in technology, digital options are now available.
In this project, I created a 160-page digital bullet journal for my Etsy Shop – Heraldeecreates. This project aims to provide journaling users with a complete pre-designed digital notebook that can be accessed and used without the hassle of designing a journal from scratch.
RESEARCH
Heraldeecreates’ Audience Data
Digital note-taking created a revolutionary solution to the limits of traditional note-taking. This method gained popularity because it allows users flexibility and accessibility compared to paper options.
Since most of my blog and Etsy audiences are Millennials and Gen Zs (ages 18-34), it would be helpful for the business to create a product that caters to digital note-taking users.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Millennials and Gen Zs need a way of combining bullet journals and digital note-taking because it provides more flexibility and accessibility than traditional journaling.
FEATURE BRAINSTORMING
The goal of this project is to create a product that is easy to use and have the same look and feel as a traditional journal.
PRODUCT LAYOUT
MOOD BOARD
To create this product quickly and efficiently, I tailored the designs based on top themes from my bullet journal blog.
SOLUTION
This digital bullet journal contains 160+ pages from January to December. For the purpose of this portfolio, only the highlights and essential elements will be presented.
ONBOARDING PAGES
This product starts with an introduction page to mimic a traditional journal. A Key spread, on the left, serves as a legend where users can add symbols or icons to label items.
The pages were also dot-grid to create the same look as a traditional bullet journal notebook.
All tabs along the sides and edges are hyperlinked to a specific month. For example, this Index is labeled “Index” on the left tab. On the other hand, all months are marked with their respective numbers on the right.
This Index page serves as an additional guide to help users navigate the journal. In addition, every element listed on the Index is also hyperlinked to go through sections quickly.
Creative spreads such as Word of the Month and Best Moments were also added to showcase the fun aspect of bullet journaling.
MONTHLY COVER PAGE
This product contains 12 unique themes for each month. In addition, every month includes its own hyperlinked Index. This means the user can easily navigate monthly pages by referring to the cover page.
BULLET JOURNAL SPREADS
Classic bullet journal spreads were included in this product. These staple spreads were the same for each month but only vary depending on the theme color scheme.
WEEKLY SPREADS
There were 4 weekly layouts used throughout this product. Every month has a different design to provide variety. The colors were also tailored to suit the theme of the month.
FAQ PAGE
A dedicated section was included to answer frequently asked questions. On this page, users are provided pictures with easy-to-follow instructions. In addition, a contact page was included so they can directly message me for questions.
INTERACTIVE PRODUCT SAMPLE
- This sample is only showing the highlights of the product.
- This product is intended for note-taking applications ( Goodnotes, Notablity, etc.)
- For this sample, only January contains a complete set of journal spreads.
FINAL TAKEAWAYS
In this project, I learned the importance of finding creative solutions to solve user problems. For example, producing a digitized copy of my bullet journal might seemed odd, but it provided an option for audiences searching for a similar product.
Also, I learned the value of creating a user guide. Instruction pamphlets are usually created externally, but for ease of use, it would be more helpful to include them within the item. By doing so, users don’t have to go out of their way to find answers, reducing frustrations and negative experiences.