Keep a useful observation
A useful observation begins with a small question. Decide which result would help answer it before choosing what to collect.
Form, language & ordinary decisions
Everyday Design
Notes on keeping useful observations and checking a small piece of work.
A useful notebook does more than preserve a result. It keeps enough of the question and its conditions for someone to understand the result later. These readings offer simple ways to make an observation, compare two attempts and leave a piece of work ready for the next person.
Explore the notebook
Start here
Make the record useful
Finish a small piece of work
An action finishing is useful evidence. The result that another person will use deserves its own check and a short route back.
Compare two attempts fairly
Two numbers become a useful comparison only when their conditions are known. The differences around the numbers can matter more than their size.
A notebook is a working tool
You can begin with an observation, build a comparison or prepare a handoff. Each reading focuses on one small habit rather than a complete method. Pick the habit that removes uncertainty from the work in front of you.
The aim is a record someone can use, not an ever larger collection of notes. Keep the details that change a decision, leave a clear route to supporting material and let a finished task have a stopping point.
Choose a note from the full index, or read how this notebook is arranged.