I love the hipster pda. No matter how many organizational schemes and methods I come up with, I always end up back in my familiar stack of index cards. I had a hipster before it was named the hipster by Merlin Mann.
However, my one problem with the hipster was that I need ubiquitous capture, and my pocket is a rough place. There’s keys, pens, change, a Blackberry, and a Leatherman tool already in there. My hpda is like the last guy thrown into the drunk tank on a Saturday night. He’s bound to get roughed up.
My solution? A 99 cent DIY mod that can be easily made with some scissors and a sturdy poly two-pocket folder from Office Depot. Here’s the exact one I used. Online it claims they’re 1.99, but in my local store they were only .99.
Step 1: Cut your folder. Open the folder so that it lays flat. Cut out the bottom right corner of the folder in the general size of a 3X5 card – I stuck some cards in there for measurement. You’ll notice that I also snipped off the corners for locating cards more easily. This leaves you with a “pocket” that has two sides open.
Step 2: Insert your stuff!
The clip can still be used to keep at least 15 cards secured inside. This durable case keeps your cards safe without adding any significant amount of bulk to your pockets. The case also makes your hipster water resistant and “encrypted” so that others can’t glance at your cards. It’s a winner!
February 8, 2007 at 5:28 pm
This is a cool idea. A few years back (well before HPDA became popular) I found some vinyl folders for 3×5 cards at a Hallmark shop in Massachusetts. They are translucent, though, and not very flexible. They have cracked and fallen apart on me. I use paper folders now, that I fold myself. I have several designs for on my blog. But sometimes I wish they were a little tougher, like this one.
May 10, 2007 at 8:35 pm
great idea… i may have to try this this evening, thanks