Studio Update: A Fresh Direction for the Digital Planner Design Course
If you’ve been hanging out in my little corner of the internet for a while, you already know I’m always refining, streamlining, and upgrading the way I teach — partly because I love a polished creative workflow… and partly because I want your digital planner business to feel a whole lot easier on your end too.
So today, I’ve got a small-but-important studio update about the next edition of The Extraordinary Digital Planner Design Course — and a shift I’ve been quietly working on behind the scenes.
Here’s the quick version:
The new edition of the course will be taught exclusively in Affinity.
Okay. Deep breath. Grab your emotional support cupcake. Let’s chat about it.
Why the Shift?
Over the past year, something interesting happened: more and more of my students naturally drifted toward Affinity as their main design program. And the newest version of Affinity? It sealed the deal.
Even though Data Merge has been around for a while, I didn’t personally need it much when I was focused on undated planners. But now that I’m shifting into creating dated planners for my own shop and working on dated digital planner templates for all of you, Data Merge has suddenly become a tool I’m going to use constantly — and if I’m using it regularly, I want to teach it properly.
Combine that with the fact that the new Affinity is:
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free (hi, budget-friendly queensÂ
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cross-platform (Mac AND PC users, rejoice)
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so much faster and more stable with big planner files
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dramatically better at exporting those big, beautiful documents
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and packed with features that make digital planner design feel smooth instead of… slightly unhinged
…and the path forward suddenly couldn’t be clearer.
I want to support you with the tools that actually make your life easier.
Affinity is the tool that lets me do that.
But What About Keynote?
If you’re a current student inside the existing course, don’t worry — nothing is disappearing.
All the original Keynote lessons will stay available inside the archived version of the course, exactly where you expect them to be.
You’ll still be able to come back to them any time you want.
This isn’t a “we’re breaking up with Keynote” announcement — it’s simply the direction the new version of the course is heading.
What's Coming Next?
The updated edition of The Extraordinary Digital Planner Design Course is officially in the works and is planned for release this Spring.
This version is deeper, smoother, more intentional, and much more aligned with the kinds of digital planners creators are selling in 2026 and beyond.
You can expect:
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a refreshed + expanded curriculum
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brand-new planner builds (yes, plural)
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workflows designed around the newest Affinity tools
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full Data Merge training
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cleaner, more strategic design instruction
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and an overall experience that feels like leveling up your entire studio
When it’s ready, I’ll announce it here on the blog and inside my newsletter.
I’ll also keep this post updated as things move along, so you can always pop back in for the latest details — no inbox overwhelm required.
Where to Find Updates.
To keep things simple (and to save us both from inbox overwhelm), all updates about the new edition will be shared right here on the blog.
No need to email me — truly.
If there’s something new to know, it’ll be added to this page.
One More Thing.
This shift feels really right — for my students, for my studio workflow, and for the caliber of planners all of you are creating.
The new Affinity version finally gives us:
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the speed
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the stability
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the cross-platform freedom
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the pro-level features
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the breathing room to design without wrestling the software
It’s exactly the kind of foundation I want this course built on.
I can’t wait to show you what I’ve been working on behind the scenes — and I’m even more excited for you to dive into it this Winter.
More soon, Lovely.
Big things (and beautiful planners) are brewing in the studio.