The Books & The Movies: What’s the Difference Between My Digital Planner Design Course and My Digital Planner Template Bundles?
If you’re trying to decide between learning how to design a digital planner from scratch or using done-for-you digital planner templates, this guide will help. This is one of the questions I’m asked most often — especially by creatives who want to build a digital planner business that feels beautiful, intentional, and truly their own.
If you’ve ever wondered which Cupcakes & Haystacks product is right for you — the full design course or the digital planner template bundles — you’re not alone. Both options help you create gorgeous, realistic digital planners your customers will love.
But the experience of each?
Totally different.
Think: reading the books vs. watching the movies.
Both wonderful. Both valid. Both magical in their own ways.
They just take you down totally different creative paths.
Let’s break it down. (psst - this is the PERFECT point at which to grab a coffee)
The Extraordinary Digital Planner Design Course
The “Books” Experience — immersive, detailed, foundational.
You know how reading a full book series gives you everything?
The worldbuilding, the logic, the magic system, the character arcs, the tiny details the movies had to skip?
That’s my digital planner design course — it’s where you learn the why behind every beautiful page.
If you want to:
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Understand how digital planners work from the inside out
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Build planners completely from scratch
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Make intentional design decisions instead of guessing
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Create original products that feel like you
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Gain long-term skills you can use for every planner, journal, or printable you ever design
…then you’re a book reader at heart, and this is your cozy corner of the creative universe.
It’s the deep-dive, fully immersive experience.
The kind that teaches you how to build anything you can imagine — whether that’s a minimalist planner, a chunky coil-bound monthly layout, a wellness journal, or a dated system with more variations than your favorite fantasy series has plot twists.
You’re not just following instructions.
You’re understanding the craft — and once you learn it, you can’t help but see digital design differently (in the best, most empowering way).
The Extraordinary Digital Planner Template Bundles
The “Movies” Experience — beautiful, fast, done-for-you magic.
Templates are the movie version of digital planner creation — quick to love, easy to enjoy, and absolutely gorgeous right out of the gate.
They’re ready for you the moment you open them.
They let you jump straight into customizing, styling, and prepping your planner for your shop without needing to learn the behind-the-scenes design process first.
Templates are perfect if you:
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Want to create planners quickly
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Prefer customizing over designing from scratch
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Love having a professionally structured foundation
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Want to start selling digital planners fast
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Don’t need (or want) the behind-the-scenes technical training
You still get a beautiful experience — just like watching your favorite film.
You don’t see how every decision was made, but you still enjoy the final magic.
And honestly? For many shop owners, digital planner templates are the perfect way to keep their product line fresh, cohesive, and profitable without reinventing the wheel. It’s still creative — just a different flavor of creative.
So Which One Is Right for You?
It depends on the kind of creative you are — and the season you’re in.
⭐ If you want skills you can use forever: choose the course.
⭐ If you want beautiful planners you can customize today: choose the templates.
⭐ If you want both speed and skill: many students choose both — templates to start selling now, the course to level up their design abilities for long-term growth.
There’s no wrong choice.
Just the one that supports the business you’re building right now.
A Quick Side-by-Side Summary
The Design Course (Books):
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Learn to build digital planners from scratch
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Understand structure, hyperlinks, layout logic, and design flow
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Create any planner or journal you can imagine
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Develop long-term, foundational design skills
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Perfect for creative control + total independence
The Template Bundles (Movies):
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Ready-made planners you can customize today
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Designed using my original, professional layouts
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Save dozens of hours of design time
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Ideal for launching or expanding your shop quickly
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Great for beginners, intermediate creators, or anyone wanting speed
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a design course to sell digital planners?
Not at all. Plenty of successful shop owners start with templates and build momentum quickly.
Are digital planner templates beginner-friendly?
Yes — they’re wonderful for beginners who want a simple, fast way to create a professional planner without learning the entire design process.
Is the digital planner design course good for beginners?
Absolutely. It’s detailed, approachable, and walks you through every step of designing a digital planner from scratch. If you love feeling fully immersed in your skillset, you’ll love it.
Can I use templates even if I take the course?
Definitely. Many students use both — templates for speedy product creation and the course whenever they want to design something completely custom.
What’s faster: designing from scratch or using templates?
Templates will always be faster. But designing from scratch gives you deeper skills, more flexibility, and the ability to create endless product variations.
Ready to Build Something Beautiful?
You’ve seen the difference. Now choose the path that fits your creative goals — whether you want the full “books” experience or you’re ready to step into the “movies.”
Want the full “books” experience?
Learn how to design digital planners from scratch and build skills you’ll use every time you create something new.
→ Explore The Extraordinary Digital Planner Design Course (CLICK HERE)
Want the fast, “movies” version?
Create a gorgeous, ready-to-sell planner today with my professionally designed templates.
→ Browse The Extraordinary Digital Planner Template Bundles (CLICK HERE)
Whichever path you choose, you’re building something beautiful — and I’m cheering you on every step of the way!