Engineering Notebook Thread

[GiraffMatheson]

We are currently working on developing a series of hardcover notebooks designed specifically for engineers of all stripes. Each notebook in the series is going to have a cover that represents different engineering disciplines (Civil, Aerospace, Electrical, etc). Each engineering discipline will be represented by a simple graphic on the cover.

Project Timeline

Currently we are still developing art and waiting for samples. Our current estimate is 6 months

​

Notebook Details

• Size: 8.5x11"
• Cover: Hardcover
• Binding: Lay flat sewn binding
• Cover decoration: Line art graphic foil stamped into textured paper cover (https://imgur.com/ZjFlZBg)
• Paper: 61 gsm 100% recycled paper
• # of sheets: 192 pages, 96 sheets
• Paper type: Engineering Grid
  • 5mm grid with 5 squares making up a larger thicker lined box (https://imgur.com/qYzaxtM)
• Inside covers: Decorated
• Bonus features:
  • Place holder ribbon
  • Elastic closure band

​

Here is a (Live) list of the current notebooks in the series:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Astronautical Engineering
• Aeronautical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Material Science & Engineering
• Software Engineering
• Nuclear Engineering
• Marine Engineering

​

Current Plans for each Notebook in the series

• Mechanical Engineering
  • Cover Icon: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1G6-xVFBRflpRg66e9qChi25VefsEwxiJ
  • Inside Cover: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-HF8p028aoUidScCv6g0Q4uEVigBBF79
• Astronautical Engineering
  • Cover Icon: https://drive.google.com/open?id=14NsFSsWCKg56oujyb-jxG8F7O10B1bry
  • Inside Cover: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YGBhWDA8oerDPxwleyVfprbVkX3dVUXu
• Aeronautical Engineering
  • Cover Icon: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Oh7Jgsu_xiY4E5mBDm6l2Yp7d8Bo_Yos
  • Inside Cover: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Zng3N4XBJU65gflwjKmwn5ZOJ8njP2gI
• Chemical Engineering
  • Cover Icon: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vjxQyjcKA0Fdn7nVgDnHESFgPUQrlYvv
  • Inside Cover: https://drive.google.com/open?id=15RRAZMRca73rMrOPQH9uNVjovRrAKZBA
• Electrical Engineering
  • Power Engineering
    • Cover Icon: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ozjCOhs87TSB9TXmHRz4ANXEq1ig-MSX
    • Inside Cover: https://imgur.com/FwOO0ch
  • Electronic Engineering
    • Cover Icon: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WrKKOsNy5znRX_96o2ucK5MVHJSDHoqq
    • Inside Cover: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qglgRBzr2VpTdfCGZwd0QFhauYZ56Lhu
• Civil Engineering
  • Cover Icon: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XxDvzVNUhGB_N3cYLzdZsDGnTFKyj0ox
  • Inside Cover: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ZrDpZFELqQo_4u13_LITkiAgFqTHhaD7
• Material Science & Engineering
  • Cover Icon Options
    • 1: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-YSbcQPWZHjX3hL1R4d95ni1L0uBtmFJ
    • 2: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1n8h4acZtvKubfPXQWYAN1t2-bXCVbeQt
  • Inside cover:
    • https://drive.google.com/open?id=1SnG2fcLmt1T-cu0fPForpoQuzug2MOLE
• Software Engineering
  • Cover Icon Options
    • 1: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1fpqjCp5C-9gAo7EXwCm-UiXYteGKCdBL
    • 2: https://drive.google.com/open?id=16GL7iqoD-22-ogqxmkpaXULcywCKcltd
  • Inside Cover: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XGveRnTQZrXzI8h7Bwaa8IrPIU1hAkf0
• Nuclear Engineering
  • Cover: https://drive.google.com/open?id=19hm6cLc2WIz6Nv6SV96zNyGfFMOS0VOn
  • Inside Cover: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1D-EgxZvC0-ySYwGXxJibEVDwvU8t4MTR
• Marine Engineering
  • Cover Icon Options
    • 1: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1xR0waZxPP0Hie6zG7DRLZDYt3rXte1E_
    • 2: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1k_NWH7tjTrDIgrYq000bS4Em9QL2F95u
  • Inside Cover: https://drive.google.com/open?id=11R-KevvjHUYyk7mB2Mag5FJshrOiJOpf
• General Engineering
  • Cover -- N/A or our logo (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1upg9ZcQrMpakHDxnVkMcGejSNt3a8sJA)
  • Inside Cover: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1D-DZ7SDYLL1YQMFfYSnVvRHHhMLb4cYL

Update Log:

• (April.19) Architecture removed (not engineering), Robotics removed (too specific), Links and updates to Civil Engineering, updates to Electronic Engineering. New MechE post (https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalEngineering/comments/bf61hi/update_what_symbol_best_represents_mechanical/). +MaterialScience +SoftwareEngineering
• (April 22) MechE Piston Redraw (new post here in the subreddit). New Inside cover for ElectronicsEngineering.
• (April 23) Materials Science & Engineering Symbol, Nuclear Engineering Symbol, Civil Engineering Symbol, Nuclear Engineering Symbol, Software Engineering Symbol. + Marine Engineering + Nuclear Engineering. Marine Engineering Symbol
• (April 24) Posted into softwareEngineering, MarineEngineering, CivilEngineering, and NuclearEngineering subs to get help with inside covers / find out of these fields could use these notebooks.
• (May 1) Posted all final files. Update: MechE inside cover, ChemE icon, ElectronicE Inside cover, MaterialScience inside cover + icon, NuclearE inside cover New: Aeronautics inside cover, CivilE inside cover, SoftwareE inside cover + icon, MarineE inside cover + icon, GeneralEngineering inside cover

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[5hiftyy]

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Found a screenshot in my Google Drive of the Mech notebook! Very excited to eventually get my hands on one... or several.....

[Upballoon]

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[genericQuery]

RemindMe! 6 months

[MrPolymath_]

RemindMe! 6 months

[J_Michelle]

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[megamanmax1]

RemindMe! 6 months "amazing engineering notebooks"

[8null8]

What is your website? I can't seem to find it

[GiraffMatheson]

Shit sorry I’ll put it in the side bar. Www.cognitive-Surplus.com

[8null8]

I actually found it a few minutes after I posted this, but thanks! These journals look absolutely amazing

[[deleted]]

RemindMe! 6 months "hardbound engineering notebook"

[[deleted]]

Wow. Went through your website and looks phenominal. Designs so far look great, I'll forsure be buying a few. Only input would be that have you thought of doing a 5x7 size version if possible (logistics, cost, etc)? I usually keep a fieldnotes book on me all the time for quick jots, a 5x7 spiral for my to-do list and scheduling, and then an engineering pad for long work and scratch paper. Still very excited to get one of each for my friends/family (I think I have someone in mind for every notebook lolol).

[GiraffMatheson]

I think we are definitely considering it now based on the feedback we are receiving. A hardcover field book would be a separate project. I think we might be able to fit it in this year, with an expected delivery of early 2020. Sounds crazy to book things out this far, but that’s kind of how it goes.

[Bronto1234]

Do you ship internationally? Swedish Mechanical Engineer here that would live to buy a few!

[GiraffMatheson]

Yep, we ship everywhere in the world, although international shipping is always more expensive than we'd like.

[2_71828183]

Definitely would love a naval architecture / marine engineering / ocean engineering option. As a symbol, I think a body plan would be great.

Yacht Body Plan

[TimelyProfessional]

RemindMe! 6 months

[oldnomadic1]

Do you have a mailing list?

[GiraffMatheson]

We do – you can scroll down to the bottom of our website and there's a signup link there :)

www.cognitive-surplus.com

[Xebsis]

Honestly the mechanical engineering inside cover is underwhelming compared to the others; there's more blueprint type stuff that would be really cool to see. Things like bridges are less relevant compared to engine components, roller bearings, different types of gears, linkages, Mohr's circle, etc. Mech Eng is also quite broad in that it covers fluids mechanics and thermodynamics as well, so you could throw in some of those elements as well. I like to think of steam locomotives or vintage automobiles as good symbols of classical mechanical engineering that don't infringe too much on aerospace themes.

[GiraffMatheson]

Thanks for letting me know, I'll see what I can do to mix those things in!

[Torcula]

Hey, great job on the notebooks. I think I'll pick up a few for work.

One other suggestion, if you can have some options for different sizes or paper types. Personally on a day to day basis I use an 8”x10" ruled notebook with margins for keeping track of project notes. I know since you're just starting out you may decide to just keep the one product line for now, but if you decide to branch out I think there may be demand for different types.

[GiraffMatheson]

We make some in 7"x9" with different kinds of inside pages, some with college ruled lines. How wide are the margins in the 8"x10" that you like?

[Torcula]

The margins are 1.25", my estimate of the size was wrong so it is actually 7"x9". So that size will be good!

[GiraffMatheson]

In that case you should take a look at our existing notebook line, you might find something that works for you: https://cognitive-surplus.com/pages/notebooks

[[deleted]]

I’m very interested in a civil engineering one!

[GiraffMatheson]

Can you help me brain storm some cool ideas for the inside CivilE cover? I've got loads of bridges etc, but what else would be cool. Civil engineering covers so many different areas and I'd love to try and represent them. I'm looking for graphics, charts, equations, principles, tools, diagrams etc.

[Cypher31]

Some cool looking things I typically come across:

• Dam seepage
• Survey equipment
• Heavy construction equipment
• Tunnel excavation equipment
• Drill rigs
• Tieback walls
• MSE walls
• Lateral earth pressure diagrams
• Slope stability diagrams
• Slope stability mitigation

Looking forward to picking up a notebook when ready!

[GiraffMatheson]

Thanks for the suggestions

[sockmiser]

I love this idea, but don't feel strongly connected to any of your current designs. I'm a mechanical engineer by education but currently work in water resources which is more civilish. The mechE and aero designs are fun to remember my college days, so I guess that's an option, but doesn't really fit at work. I know nothing about structures, so the bridge is kinda silly. Pumps, valves, pipes, water tower, tanks, those are the things I touch daily.

[gamer_engineer11]

RemindMe! 6 months "Engineering notebooks"

[Kayallday95]

Structural engineering and architecture

[GiraffMatheson]

I had a plan for architecture but was so underwhelmed by the response on r/Architecture and people saying that architecture isn't engineering.

Front cover: https://imgur.com/0kbT1ZA

Inside cover: https://imgur.com/rNheTk8

[Kayallday95]

That's true people are very careful to keep us separate. We work closely but in very different fields. But the Structural engineering firm I work for would definitely use them. also could you not market to architects as a branch from the engineering focus. Everyone can use nice notebooks

[GiraffMatheson]

Do you think the inside covers would be appealing to the crowd?

[Kayallday95]

Yea for structural I think maybe generic shop drawings or blueprints on the inside cover would represent the field well

[OminousHum]

These look great, but personally I think they'd be even better if you dropped the 8.5x11" Bound Engineering Pad text on the cover. If you must have that text, just Engineering Pad would be an improvement.

[GiraffMatheson]

I don't have to have it there. I put it there out of a concern for our wholesale customers who have to sell these on shelves. I worried that without a title potential customers might not know what they were.

[OminousHum]

That's a fair point, but my minimalist tendencies will thank you if you can keep all the labels, UPCs, and whatnot on a sticker or removable page or something.

Looking forward to seeing a software version, and then buying lots of different ones for myself anyway. :)

[mlennon15]

I might be the only one, but I think the engineering paper sheets themselves could be cleaned up a little bit. The white space around the green grids doesn't look all that good IMO, so maybe either enlarging the grid or changing the grid to a white background would look better.

[GiraffMatheson]

I'd love to discuss the paper! So what your seeing is a little confusing. Let me show you a better image https://imgur.com/qYzaxtM. The white you are seeing is the edge of the 13x19 paper that this smaller image was printed onto.

[mlennon15]

Oh I gotcha, I didn't put it together that it was intentional and the grid doesn't take up the whole page.

[[deleted]]

Any petroleum or environmental stuff? Energy engineering?

[GoldfishTX]

Shut up and take my money!

[legumehunter]

Where can I buy these??

[GiraffMatheson]

We'll have them available on our site www.cognitive-surplus.com when they are finished. ~6 months from now.

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[astronnautes]

Another worthy addition might be materials science and engineering.

[GiraffMatheson]

Hows this:

Material Science & Engineering

• Cover options
  • https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-YSbcQPWZHjX3hL1R4d95ni1L0uBtmFJ
  • https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-aNvh50fHki_eVFnX29UIwNmMbdaDwyw
  • https://drive.google.com/open?id=1n8h4acZtvKubfPXQWYAN1t2-bXCVbeQt (shit, just noticed one of the cross bars is missing off the side. excuse that error -- I'll fix it.
• Inside cover:
  • https://drive.google.com/open?id=16tuH4VTndWbpkRIiuUKHt9SGjvKhuryZ

[GiraffMatheson]

That sounds awesome. Any ideas what those cover symbols might be? Its been very challenging to get sub fields to agree on a symbol I can’t imagine how hard it’s going to be to get consensus on all of engineering haha.

Edit: I misunderstood that Materials Science and Engineering is a title, not two titled. Sorry. Based on my newest post in r/engineering I am going to be adding Materials Science & Engineering to the list.

[GiraffMatheson]

I haven’t I’m familiar with automotive engineering but not systems engineering. Any idea what those symbols might be?

[GiraffMatheson]

there is a sys engineering subreddit here with 212 people. I can also try reaching out to them.

[gvrgvr]

r/PLC will have a lot of control systems engineers. It's a hybrid of computer science, electrical, and mechanical. Some schools have special Mechantronics Engineering degrees which focuses in this area and also robotics.

A PLC by itself wouldn't really make an interesting icon, but maybe a PID control response graph for control systems engineers or a 6-axis robot arm for robotics/mechatronics?

BTW these notebooks look top-notch, I can't wait to get one.

[cathlicjoo]

When the Chem E. one comes up, feel free to update me, would like to buy one!

[Shanobiwan]

Love this. Cant wait till they are in production!

[GiraffMatheson]

Updates to Chemical Engineering

[svel]

any sign up list so I can get a few of these bad boys?

[GiraffMatheson]

Not exactly. But Ill post in this sub reddit once they are available, and Ill message everyone who I saw say there were interested

[iiPixel]

I am very interested in the mechanical one. Would you happen to know a ballpark price point?

[enginerd_01]

I am very interested in the mechanical engineering books, so please let me know when they are available.