Behind the Scenes: Designing the Content Planner Template
Why I chose a calendar view over a database, and how I made it work for messy creative brains.
When I set out to build a content planner, I knew I didn’t want a rigid database with twenty fields. Most content planners feel like spreadsheets. I wanted something that felt like a journal — but with structure.
I started by sketching on paper: what do I need to see at a glance? A calendar for dates, a space for ideas, and a simple status tracker. I decided to use a calendar view with inline notes rather than a complex relational database. It’s less powerful but way more approachable.
The hardest part was balancing flexibility with clarity. I added a few optional properties (topic, platform, deadline) but left the rest open for free-form notes. The result? A planner that works for both the meticulous planner and the spontaneous creator.