I read 50+ books a year, and this simple Whiteboard app has replaced my messy highlighters and scattered text notes. Here’s my step-by-step system for keeping notes organized, visual, and even fun to revisit.
Why Freeform Isn’t Only for Creatives
Freeform is Apple’s collaborative whiteboard app. It’s also one of thebest apps to take visual notes with on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Its infinite canvas and flexible features make it a good fit for both impromptu and structured book notes.
There’s no steep learning curve, either, so you’re able to learn to use Freeform in ten minutes or less, which is ideal for the design-challenged among us.
Thanks to the seamless sync between Apple’s devices, I create my notes on an iPad and use the smaller iPhone screen to review them when moving around. An Apple Pencil makes notetaking even easier, but don’t let the lack of an iPad or an Apple Pencil stand in the way of using Freeform. It’s just as easy to use Freeform directly from your iPhone or a Mac.
How I Use Freeform to Make Book Notes
Even though Freeform has become my go-to app for making book notes, I don’t use it for every book. I put in the work when I want toremember what I read in a specific book. Doing this lets me make my note-taking more deliberate.
The whiteboard app’s ability to tie in various media types allows me to capture my thoughts in whatever form feels most natural. The most pivotal feature isScenes, which are like jump points for specific views on your board.
Every book starts as a new project on a new Freeform board.
Starting a Visual Book Summary
I place the book’s cover image at the center of the Freeform canvas, which I can easily add by searching online or using a photo from my library.
Around this central node, I create the content map by listing the chapters with what I think is the chapter’s main takeaway.
Simplify the chapter headings in your own words.
Dump First, Organize Later
You can jot down notes while reading a book. I prefer to take notes later after finishing a chapter, which helps me remember what I read.
The point is to capture them first and spruce them up later. You can use Sticky notes, insert text boxes, or scribble with an Apple Pencil.
To shift the notes or any other object on the iPhone/iPad, tap anywhere on an empty space. Then tapSelect Objectsand tap each item you want to select.
Pin Chapter Keywords and Quotes as Sticky Notes
Sticky notes in Freeform aren’t just yellow rectangles—they can be resized, colored, or filled with emojis via the keyboard. I use them to flag quotes I might want to reference later.
Arrange stickies on top of each other in a hierarchy. Select aSticky note > Ellipsis > BackorFront.
Track Recurring Themes Across a Book
Almost every book orbits around one or a few themes. Freeform’s infinite canvas is perfect for tracking recurring themes across a book.
I create separate sections on a board for each theme. Selecting a decorative font (e.g. Chalkduster) in a larger size from the text tools and highlighting it with a specific color makes the section stand out.
You can then use theScene Navigatorto zoom in and out through the themes.
Make Mindmaps With Connectors
Mindmaps are one of thebest visual aids for any brain task. You can quickly create mindmaps in Freeform with Connectors.
On any Freeform board, tap the overlapping square icon at the top. SelectShow Connectors. Start your mindmap by adding sticky notes, shapes, text boxes, or media.
Select and drag the tiny connector arrows to the next point of the mindmap. Release and pick a new shape from theShapesgallery.
To add aligned, evenly spaced shapes with connectors, tap a shape, hold its connector arrow to preview, and release to add.
Create Character Maps
Let’s say you are reading Dune or A Song of Ice and Fire. Such books are all about characters and their motivations. If you struggle to remember who’s related to whom, a simple Freeform sketch can help.
Use Connectors or theShapesgallery for arrows and other objects (e.g. Trees for drawing a family tree!). Show the relationships by labeling the arrows and shapes with the Text tool.
TheBasicshapes can be customized with the green dots. Other shapes can be resized and colored. Try theBreak Apartoption for some multipart geometric shapes where you can custom tweak each piece of the shape.
For more visual character maps, search Google for actor headshots or fan art (e.g., “Jon Snow portrait”), save them in the Photos app, and then drag them into Freeform.
Link Notes to Pages or Highlights
Associating key points and your ideas to the locations in a big is just as important. You can use a simple text box to note the book’s page number or decorate it more.
I use a simpleOff-Page Connector Shapeto hold a text box with the page number.
For online articles, you can easily add clickable hyperlinks. Drag a link from Safari or another app into your board. You can also directly highlight a section on a webpage and copy it as a link to Freeform. Alternatively, tap thePictureicon on the top right and chooseLink.
From the same menu, you’re able to add photos, videos, and even audio clips to enrich your notes.
Jump Between Sections With the Scenes Navigator
Swiping the infinite Freeform board can be cumbersome. Freeform can save specific views of your board, helping with quick navigation through different sections of your book notes.
To capture sections of your notes, tap on theStaricon in the lower-left corner of your board. Tap the Scenes list icon again, then tap theAdd Scenebutton.
Create “scenes” for chapters, themes, or characters—like a table of contents for your board. Then, tap a scene thumbnail to zoom directly to that section and avoiding endless scrolling.
You can print your entire book notes on a board or specific scenes (File > Print Scenes).
Freeform’s simplicity makes it easy to capture and review your book notes. All text, photos, sticky notes, and handwritten scribbles stay on a board. Unlike cramped notetaking apps, Freeform lets you zoom out to see your entire reading journey at a glance.
