Carrying a notebook is a valuable habit for designers for several reasons:

1. Capture Ideas Anytime, Anywhere: Inspiration can strike at any moment. Having a notebook on hand allows you to quickly jot down ideas, sketches, or design concepts whenever they come to you, whether you’re at your desk, on the go, or even in bed.
2. Prevent Ideas from Getting Lost: Ideas can be fleeting, and if not captured promptly, they may disappear from memory. A notebook serves as a reliable repository for your thoughts, ensuring that you don’t lose potentially valuable ideas or insights.
3. Facilitate Creative Exploration: Sketching by hand in a notebook can help you explore and refine design concepts more freely than working on a computer. It allows for quick iterations and experimentation without the constraints of digital tools, fostering creativity and innovation.
4. Enhance Collaboration: Notebooks are great for sharing ideas with colleagues or clients during meetings or brainstorming sessions. Hand-drawn sketches often convey concepts more effectively than verbal descriptions, facilitating better communication and collaboration.
5. Document Design Process: Keeping a record of your design process in a notebook can be valuable for reflection, self-assessment, and learning. It allows you to track your progress, analyze your decision-making, and identify areas for improvement.
6. Personalize Your Workflow: Everyone has their own preferred methods for brainstorming and organizing ideas. A notebook provides a flexible and customizable tool for structuring your creative process according to your unique needs and preferences.

Overall, carrying a notebook is a simple yet powerful habit that can significantly enhance your effectiveness as a designer by helping you capture, develop, and communicate your ideas more effectively.