After years of using Notion to manage my business, I recently made a switch to Craft. This decision wasn’t made lightly, but as someone who values simplicity and efficiency, I found myself spending too much time figuring out Notion’s complex features rather than actually getting work done.
Notion is undeniably powerful—perhaps too powerful for individual users like me. I often caught myself watching tutorials or asking colleagues how to accomplish basic tasks. While it’s fantastic for large teams, it felt like using a sledgehammer to hang a picture frame for my personal productivity needs.
What Makes Craft Different
Craft caught my attention during an Apple presentation, and what immediately struck me was its beautiful, intuitive interface. The app combines stunning design with just the right amount of functionality—powerful enough to be useful but never overwhelming.
The aesthetics aren’t just superficial. The visually pleasing environment actually makes me want to open the app and organize my thoughts. Each document can be styled with themes inspired by seasons, events, or scenery, which has impressed clients when I share materials with them.
Speed is another significant advantage. Craft runs smoothly without the lag I sometimes experienced with Notion, making quick note-taking and organization much more efficient.
Features That Won Me Over
Several key features have made Craft essential to my workflow:
- Local AI assistant that works offline and doesn’t require uploading sensitive client information
- Whiteboard functionality that’s perfect for visual planning and mood boards
- Exceptional mobile app that doesn’t feel like an afterthought
- Collections feature for organizing content ideas and schedules
- Customizable document sharing that impresses clients
The whiteboard feature has been particularly valuable for my photography business. Creating visual mood boards for photo shoots used to involve juggling multiple apps, but now I can arrange ideas, reference images, and concepts in one visual canvas.
Real-World Applications
My content creation process has been streamlined through Craft’s collections feature. I’ve set up columns for content types, topics, and performance metrics—simple but effective. This same approach works wonderfully for organizing photo shoot schedules, client information, and payment tracking.
For location scouting, I’ve built a database organizing photo spots by region, season, lighting conditions, and permit requirements. Each entry includes my own photos and specific shooting tips. This system has eliminated countless hours of repeated research.
What used to be scattered across Pinterest boards and screenshots now lives in one searchable, organized space that I can access even when I’m offline.
Client collaboration has also improved. The customizable document styles make shared materials look professional, and we can collaborate in real time during the planning phase. Clients can add their own inspiration or questions directly in the document.
Finding the Right Tool for You
The most valuable aspect of Craft is how it stays out of my way. I spend less time maintaining my system and more time doing actual work. This contrasts sharply with my experience in Notion, where I could spend hours tweaking settings instead of being productive.
While I’ve highlighted my use cases in photography, Craft is versatile enough to build schedules, manage tasks, track fitness, collect recipes, and more. It strikes an excellent balance between the simplicity of Apple Notes and the functionality of more complex productivity tools.
Making the switch from a tool I’d used for years wasn’t easy, but Craft has proven to be the backbone my business needed. If you find yourself spending more time managing your productivity system than being productive, it might be time to consider a simpler alternative that still gets the job done.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can Craft handle complex project management like Notion?
While Craft may not have all the advanced database capabilities of Notion, it offers sufficient tools for most individual users and small teams. Its collections feature works well for basic project tracking, and the whiteboard functionality adds a visual dimension that some may find more intuitive than Notion’s tables.
Q: Does Craft work across different platforms?
Craft works exceptionally well on Apple devices (Mac, iPhone, iPad) with a particularly strong mobile experience. Unlike many productivity apps that treat mobile as secondary, Craft’s mobile app is fully featured and responsive, making it ideal for working away from your desk.
Q: How does Craft’s AI assistant differ from other note-taking apps?
The standout feature of Craft’s AI assistant is its ability to run locally on your device. This means you can use AI suggestions and organizational help without sending sensitive information to external servers. It also functions perfectly offline, which is rare among AI-powered productivity tools.
Q: Is Craft suitable for creative professionals specifically?
Craft is particularly well-suited for creative work due to its visual approach and flexibility. The whiteboard feature is excellent for creating mood boards and developing concepts, while the customizable document styles add a professional touch when sharing with clients. Its image handling capabilities also make it ideal for visual reference libraries.
Angela Ruth
My name is Angela Ruth. I aim to help you learn how Calendar can help you manage your time, boost your productivity, and spend your days working on things that matter, both personally and professionally. Here's to improving all your calendars and becoming the person you are destined to become!