The majority of the book is dedicated to undated notebooks, but there is a chapter acknowledging dated diary products, their origin (Letts) and how they quickly grew in popularity. At the end of that chapter, there is a footnote about Filofax organisers.
The footnote gives a very brief summary of the origin of Filofax organisers, and their popularity in the 80's and 90's as "a classic yuppie accessory." The short paragraph ends saying:
"Its core market of professionals, inevitably, transitioned to digital devices, but the Filofax has found a new audience among a generation of journal-keepers who treat it more like a scrapbook."
At first I took mild offense to what seemed to me minimising the role of Filofax among its current users. I can understand why he would write that, since many of the images on social media are of Filofax rings bursting with pages of photos, inspirational quotes, notes and memory-keeping.
But I think Filofax organisers are much more than any one thing, as they always have been. I think it is a testament to users' love of ring organisers for their flexibility and creative potential that Filofax survived the digital age and the downturn in the use of paper planners about 14 or so years ago.
At that time there was talk about the dying out of paper planners. They have come back, maybe not entirely in the simple role of planning meetings and appointments, but certainly as a way for us to organise our lives however we see fit.
As always on Fridays, feel free to ask and/ or discuss anything ring-binder organiser related!
That looks like an interesting read Laurie.
ReplyDeleteSeems like there would be scope for it to discuss the coexistence of digital and paper-based thinking, which is probably a space that many of us here operate in now.
I haven't finished the book yet, but flicking through the pages, aside from a couple of mentions, he doesn't delve into this topic. Maybe a subject for another book?
DeleteThanks for sharing this Laurie. Topic is interesting....but agree with your comments about Filofax, etc.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, at least half of my friends plan exclusively in paper planners!
ReplyDeleteThis sort of thing always gets me started. Inane comments by so-called journalists (usually) who have never taken the trouble to speak to an actual organiser user but instead take the lazy route of recycling what they *think* is the situation. My mind goes back to the Helena Bloomer/Slam PR nonsense of 2012. Filofax preferred the opinion of their PR company's focus group (if they ever had one) to asking real users (in other words Philofaxy) what they wanted/needed, and the result is that Filofax now have zero shops in the UK (and so far as I know elsewhere), zero stockists worth of the name (are you listening John Lewis, Paperchase?) and find themselves on a downward spiral, while private enterprises like Cloth and Paper, 8Lotus and Crossbow have admirably filled the gap (plus Gillio and Van der Spek). Cautionary tales. If you're going to write something, at least get some facts behind you first.
ReplyDeleteHaving said all that, the book sounds like an interesting read in a more general sense.
Personally I'm still delighted to be a user of ring bound planners some 42 years on from my first encounter (and 54 years on from my first sight of one). I still run my business that way and will continue to do so so long as it's practical, which I can't see being a limitation at the moment.
I echo your feelings about the lack of retail availability for Filofax products. One of my fondest memories of visiting London in the 1980s was visiting Harrod's huge Filofax counter, where I bought one of the early A5 systems there. Years later I had a chance to visit the store on Conduit. Here in Canada, there are just a few stores that still carry Filofax and their inventory is minimal. There is only one store that I know of in Toronto (Laywines), and one in Ottawa (Paper Papier). Last time I looked, I couldn't find a store in either Montreal or Vancouver. Yes, Walmart and Staples sell Filofax notebooks -- but no organizers, diary refills, or accessories. I rarely went to a store and browsed through their Filofax display without purchasing something!
DeleteI agree with you, Laurie, on the writer's tone of minimizing the role of Filofax among users. Even though I now (it took me the last two years) put every appt. on my phone, everything goes into my FF.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I would have going to grad school for a MA in English at the age of 58, taking two courses simultaneously if it wasn't for my Filofax system in my VDS A5. I literally copied over all the assigned readings and due dates in the vertical day-per-week calendar. As a trained project manager, I flourish in knowing my lead times and importance of understanding the work load.
I appreciate places like this that showcase real-life uses of Filofaxes. Too many washi tape organizers on the internet. No wonder this isn't an ad for men looking for analog planning solutions. And Filofax itself doesn't seem to target men at all
ReplyDeleteWhat a great find! I need to read it too.
ReplyDelete