In 2022, I authored an article about Notion and its then-new AI feature. At the time, I was unaware that this article would serve as a precursor to my future career path. This was due to two main reasons: firstly, I would eventually transition to reporting on the AI industry full-time, and secondly, Notion became my go-to application for note-taking, initially for work purposes and eventually for a significant portion of my digital life.

Interestingly, it was not the AI features that initially drew me to Notion. Instead, what I have come to appreciate the most about the platform is its intuitive text and element formatting capabilities. Unlike other applications that rely on cumbersome formatting bars, Notion utilizes a command line interface. For instance, to create a bulleted list in a document, simply type “/bulletedlist.” Although this may present a slight learning curve, once you become familiar with a few basic commands, formatting a document becomes second nature. More importantly, I have found that the interface never interferes with my writing process.

Another notable feature of Notion is its efficient file organization system. The application’s basic building block is the “page,” which functions as expected. Using the formatting interface, you can add text, images, to-do lists, and more to a document. Moreover, you can nest pages within one another, allowing you to create a file structure that suits your needs.

In my work at Engadget, I have dedicated pages for features, news, how-tos, and buying guides. When I start working on a new story, I first navigate to one of these pages to categorize my story accordingly. Thanks to the structure I have created and the app’s sidebar, I can easily locate a piece I am working on or reference an older article without needing to use Notion’s search feature. This is a significant improvement over my experience with Google Docs.

I understand that trying a new note-taking app may not be a priority for many, but if you are looking for a more efficient way to organize your digital life, I recommend giving Notion a try. There are excellent tutorials available on YouTube that showcase how individuals have utilized the software to organize their projects. — Igor Bonifacic, Senior Reporter