Using Docs as a note-taking UI is like using a word processor. They are arranged by one of four automated sorts: name, owner, size, or last access. It’s easy to start a Google Doc in the folder or start a spreadsheet, presentation, etc. I can now create folder hierarchies that resemble my note collections in OneNote and Evernote.

Starting them with the exclamation point (or “bang”) causes them to sort alphabetically before any folder whose name starts with a letter. I’ve moved the assorted mishmash of files into a folder titled “zOld” and put folders titled “!NOTEBOOKS” and “!PROJECTS” at the top.

The image above shows my personal Google Drive at present. Eventually I’ll probably build the habit of typing and dump the bookmark. I had to break my habit of typing into the toolbar and use the bookmark instead. I now keep a link to “DRIVE” in my toolbar.

Google Drive allows me to use the tools on which the company has standardized, but apply that hierarchical structure in a way that makes sense to me. If my colleagues aren’t using them too, sharing notes is difficult. I even blogged about my favorite OneNote alternative for Mac. I liked the UIs of apps like Evernote and OneNote, which presented a simple hierarchical tree structure for organizing your notes at a high level. Then I discovered using Google Drive as my note-taking app. I have generally found Keep too rudimentary for note taking and Docs to be okay but the Docs UI is an organizational nightmare. I love note-taking apps for organizing my thoughts and records, but my last two companies and my next use Google Workspace which just had basically Docs and Keep.

Google drive as evernote replacement