How to Determine the Complexity of Your Notion System
The systems you develop in Notion can be as complex as you’d like them to be. As a Notion consultant, I have been using some questions to gauge the complexity needed behind a system.
Why are you developing a notion system in the first place? What makes you believe you need a system? In this context, a “system” is intended as an interdependent set of components at the foundation of an overall method for project management, content management, or productivity in general. These are some essential questions to ask yourself when determining the complexity of your system.
What do you want to optimize for? Scalability and effective data structure? Or the ease of use?
If scalability and effective data structure, you will need to accept the importance of having to commit to learning how to use the tool you’re using—Notion in this scenario—as effectively as possible. This will require some investment of time, humility, and accepting the fact that you’ll feel stupid, especially in the beginning.
If ease of use is your primary need, you may need less training and a deep understanding of the software you’re using. The system you’ll build is less centered around a relational data structure and more focused on simplicity.
2. Are you willing to invest time to learn how to properly use Notion—or the software you’re using? If yes, how much time and in what state of mind?
If you are willing to invest time and be vulnerable to accept the instability of the beginner’s mind, building a complex and scalable data structure can be your best path forward
If not, starting with simple pages and subpages may be your best option
3. Will you use your systems by yourself or collaborate with a team?
If you’ll use Notion by yourself, you can optimize for your needs and complexity level. If there is someone else collaborating with you in your Notion workspace, you will need to keep their interests in mind. You may consider involving them in the decision-making process of how complex or simple your new systems should be.
4. If you are using Notion to collaborate with a team, how do you feel about the open accessibility of any information within your system by everyone?
If you are ok with radical transparency, you may opt for a more integrated data structure primarily based on relational databases.
If you intend to compartmentalize and micromanage access to your Notion system, a simple system may be the winner
5. Are you also using other software that you’d like to integrate with Notion? Or do you intend to centralize everything?
If you’re also using other software and would like to integrate multiple tools with Notion, a “complex” data structure may be needed because of the importance of master databases for the functioning of automation
If you intend to centralize everything, the complexity of your system will depend on the questions above.
