How to take notes in a meeting with a writing tablet

 

 

Learning how to make meeting notes is a skill that will boost productivity and ensure you get down key points every time. Follow these simple rules and you’ll soon be able to offer a detailed breakdown of every meeting you attend with pen and paper or with a writing tablet. Try the simple exercise at the end of this article to see how you can easily change your approach to note taking.

Use pen and paper

It might seem old fashioned, but taking notes using pen and paper is the most productive way to keep track of what’s being said during a meeting. Laptops and tablets set up physical barriers between participants, with the temptation to check email and tend to other work instead of listening to what is being said. Using this traditional method is good meeting etiquette too, allowing you to engage eye contact rather than staring at a screen. That said, some technological tools are worth investing in. Wacom’s Bamboo Folio smartpad allows you to take notes in ink, which you can then digitize and save to the Wacom Inkspace app at the press of a button. These can then easily be shared via a smartphone or tablet.

Try mind maps

Rather than writing out lengthy notes across multiple pages, try mind maps instead. This more visual method requires you to study the agenda of the meeting beforehand. Place each topic at the center of its own page, drawing branches outwards depending on what is discussed. If items are related, they can then be connected by different lines. Try to use larger paper for this task so you don’t run out of space. When the meeting is over, you’ll have a graphic, easy-to-follow reminder of what has been agreed and action points that need to be taken.

Break everything down into categories

After carefully studying the agenda, break each aspect of the meeting down into categories. These can include key issues that come up while discussing a particular topic, actions that different members of a team need to take and when, decisions that have been reached and what questions need to be followed up at a later date. Taking good notes using this approach is about striking a balance, as you don’t want to over-plan note taking and then miss out on important information that can come up at any point during a meeting.

Learn shorthand or develop your own

Note taking strategies vary, but writing down everything that is said in long hand is laborious and very difficult. That means you should either learn classic shorthand, as practiced by court reporters, or develop your own version that you can easily understand once the meeting has finished. This will give you the advantage of listening to and getting down as much information as possible without losing track of what has been said. Remember, you only need to take down a summary and can use symbols to represent words.

Save notes to your computer as soon as you get back to your desk

Whether you use shorthand, draw mind maps or break a meeting down into categories, it’s essential to read and then save notes as soon as you get back to your desk. Ideas will still be fresh and the notes and drawings you’ve taken will still make sense. Start by digitizing your notes via a Bamboo Ink stylus and the note taking app Wacom Inkspace, then categorize and condense them in a new document so that the key points from the meeting are emphasized. These files can then be saved in a shared folder or distributed among colleagues via email.

Better note taking with a writing pad. Get started with Bamboo stylus or smartpad.

Get ready for more powerful note taking with Bamboo Ink Plus. The smart stylus has a pencil-like feel for a natural handwriting experience, allowing you to express your thoughts just as you would on paper. And with a simple press of the Bamboo Ink Plus’ Bluetooth button, you can develop your thoughts in the Windows Ink Workspace.

Make your note taking more effective with Bamboo Slate. It gives you all the benefits of taking notes by hand, with the convenience of a digital format. It instantly digitizes your handwritten notes and diagrams in remarkable detail – at the simple push of a button. This means you can easily share your notes with colleagues, giving them the attention they deserve.

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Bamboo Slate
Write with pen on paper and convert your handwritten notes to digital.

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Wacom writing tablets for PCs and writing pads for laptops

Wacom’s intuitive pens tablets & displays are designed for everyone to use easily. They work with any PC or Mac, and some of them even with certain Android devices. Wacom products are suitable for adding handwritten notes to digital papers and essays, including PDF, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint presentations, or taking notes.

Our pioneering pen technology makes using these devices feel completely comfortable and natural. Studies show that hand writing notes reinforces the learning experience. But typing up notes and organizing them digitally has replaced this for many people. Now, people like students or office workers are relying on typed notes more than ever. But they don’t have to with Wacom. Our solutions combine the freedom of working by hand with the convenience of working digitally. For example, using the Wacom Notes app can completely transform the way you take notes. You can write your notes by hand, convert them to digital text, then easily organize, save and share them online, saving you time in the process.

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Write with pen on paper and convert your handwritten notes to digital.

Stylus

Write and quickly note ideas on your mobile device with a Wacom stylus.

À propos de Wacom

Forte de sa vision, rapprocher l'humain de la technologie grâce à des interfaces naturelles, la société Wacom est devenue le numéro un mondial de la fabrication de tablettes à stylet et d’écrans interactifs, de stylets numériques et de solutions pour l’enregistrement et le traitement des signatures électroniques. La technologie avancée intégrée aux dispositifs de saisie Wacom est à l’origine des plus belles œuvres dans le domaine des arts numériques, des films, des effets spéciaux, de la mode et du design à travers le monde : les professionnels et les particuliers bénéficient grâce à elle d'une interface high-tech pour exprimer toute leur personnalité. Créée en 1983, Wacom est une société internationale dont le siège est situé au Japon (bourse de Tokyo : 6727). Elle possède des succursales et des filiales dans le monde entier, avec un réseau de marketing et de distribution implanté dans plus de 150 pays. 

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