Make with Notion 2024: Product Launch Keynote (Ivan Zhao)

Welcome to the First In-Person Notion Conference

Introduction and Celebration

• Ivan Z opens the conference, expressing excitement about the first in-person event for Notion.

• He shares a personal milestone of getting married, which led him to introduce his wife to Notion through their wedding planning.

Community and Global Reach

• The conference hosts attendees from 45 different countries, highlighting the global nature of the Notion community.

• A nostalgic reflection on Notion's beginnings in San Francisco ten years ago, emphasizing growth from an idea without a product or business model.

Growth and User Engagement

Milestones Achieved

• Over ten years, Notion has evolved significantly; it now features drag-and-drop functionality and block-based editing.

• The user base grew from 1 million users before COVID to over 100 million users recently, showcasing rapid adoption.

Community Ownership

• Ivan emphasizes that Notion belongs to its users who shape it according to their needs.

• Examples include monks in Thailand using Notion for various tasks and Toyota utilizing it for project management.

Diverse Use Cases of Notion

From Monasteries to Enterprises

• Monks manage their monastery operations with Notion as an all-in-one tool.

• Toyota employs Notion’s Kanban boards for knowledge storage and project management.

Supporting Startups and Creators

• Many fast-growing tech companies like Figma and OpenAI use Notion; it's also popular among Y Combinator startups.

• Some creators earn over a million dollars annually by selling templates or offering consultancy services related to Notion.

Philosophy Behind Software Development

Vision of Creative Freedom

• Ivan reflects on a quote about shaping tools that ultimately shape us, reiterating this philosophy remains central to their mission today.

Historical Context

• He discusses how software has become rigid over time since the 80s and 90s, moving away from empowering users due to increased complexity.

Addressing Software Sprawl

Current Challenges in Business Tools

• Companies often juggle more than 88 tools leading to inefficiencies like context switching and rising costs.

Solution Approach Inspired by Legos

Building Blocks of Software: A New Approach

The Concept of Deconstructing Software

• The speaker discusses the idea of breaking down software into common building blocks, such as text editing, databases, and automation tools, to make them user-friendly like Legos.

• Emphasizes that end users, often domain experts, can create better tools than developers themselves when given the right components.

The Value of Customization

• Highlights how customizable tools can reflect individual personalities and complex business needs, leading to enhanced productivity and creativity.

• States that Notion aims to provide beautiful tools for users' work, focusing on entrepreneurs and creators who want to drive change.

Introduction of New Features

• Kari introduces new product features inspired by user feedback and outlines three main areas: new building blocks, workflows, and sharing capabilities.

• Describes a common issue within the company regarding employee inquiries being chaotic due to unorganized Slack channels.

Building a Help Desk with Notion

• The team plans to create a structured help desk using Notion's building blocks for employees to ask questions in an organized manner.

• Announcement of launching forms as a fundamental missing building block in Notion.

Introducing Forms: Enhancing Information Collection

Importance of Forms in Workflows

• Sachi from the forms team explains the need for better information collection methods within Notion due to current manual processes being tedious.

Use Cases for Forms

• Discusses various applications for forms in workplace scenarios such as standardizing requests or collecting user feedback efficiently.

Demonstration of Form Creation

• Provides examples like creating social media request forms or event RSVPs through Notion’s new form feature.

Interactive Help Desk Development

Help Desk Form Creation and Customization

Overview of Help Desk Form Features

• The help desk form includes questions about the urgency of requests and allows users to upload attachments. A description field supports longer answers.

• Currently, the form is shared internally, but it can be published on the web for global submissions. A preview feature shows how the form appears to users.

• Submissions create tickets visible in a database, allowing tracking of various departments like HR and facilities.

Ticket Management and Data Visualization

• Users can filter data, set up notifications for new ticket creation, and visualize ticket distribution across teams using charts.

• The integration with Notion simplifies workflows by reducing reliance on multiple tools. Forms are easy to build and share.

Enhancements through Layout Customization

• Tyler from the design team introduces layout customization options that enhance user experience in Notion.

Examples of Layout Customization

• Tyler shares examples from internal task databases showing how layouts can become overwhelming without proper organization.

• Personal use cases include recipe management where AI properties assist in estimating prep times and generating grocery lists.

Tailoring Layouts for Different Use Cases

• The need for customizable layouts arises due to diverse use cases; one layout cannot fit all scenarios effectively.

• For recipes, important details like prep time can be prioritized visually while less critical information is minimized.

Practical Application of Layout Changes

• In task management, key elements such as status and due dates are emphasized while organizing other details into groups for clarity.

Using the New Layout Builder Interface

• The layout builder interface allows users to customize page layouts easily; changes apply universally across all pages in a database.

• Users can focus on essential properties relevant to their tasks by rearranging elements within the interface.

Adding Additional Elements

Notion Customization and Automation Features

Organizing Properties in Notion

• The speaker discusses organizing properties within Notion, creating sections for less important properties labeled as "paper trail" and "triage" to streamline the database layout.

• Visual preferences are highlighted, including options for comment appearance and property icons. The speaker opts to toggle off property icons for a cleaner look.

• A customized layout is applied across all pages in the database, featuring pinned properties under titles and a collapsible sidebar for additional information.

Custom Emoji Integration

• New features allow users to upload custom emojis easily, enhancing personalization within Notion pages. Users can select from various categories in the emoji picker.

• Custom emojis can be utilized not only as page icons but also in comments and buttons, encouraging creativity and fun in page design.

Pricing Model for New Features

• The team has decided on a pricing model that offers unlimited forms and layouts free of charge, aiming to foster user engagement with these new tools.

• Future developments include conditional logic in forms based on user feedback, indicating ongoing investment in feature enhancement.

Workflows: Enhancing Efficiency

• The speaker draws an analogy between building blocks (like Legos) and using Notion's features to create efficient workflows within organizations.

• New workflows are introduced to address repetitive questions efficiently, ensuring timely responses through automation.

Introduction of Automations

• Manny from the automations team presents new automation capabilities designed to enhance productivity by allowing users to set triggers and actions seamlessly.

• Key features being launched include Gmail notifications and formulas that enable more granular control over project management tasks.

Automating Help Desk Ticket Management

Introduction to Ticket Automation

• The discussion begins with the need to assign a ticket for Larry's laptop issue, emphasizing the importance of automation in managing help desk tickets.

• An automation formula is introduced that identifies who is on call and assigns tickets automatically, streamlining the process for teams responsible for queue management.

Escalation and Notifications

• The speaker highlights the ability to escalate critical tickets to a manager using formulas and buttons, ensuring urgent issues are prioritized.

• An automated email notification system is set up to inform users when their ticket status changes to complete, enhancing communication regarding ticket resolutions.

Notion AI Features Overview

• The transition into discussing Notion AI introduces its capabilities as an all-in-one tool designed to assist with various tasks like chat, search, analysis, and writing.

• Lauren explains how Notion AI can now search across connected apps (e.g., Slack, Google Drive), expanding its utility beyond just internal documents.

Utilizing AI for Help Desk Tickets

• Demonstrations show how Notion AI helps resolve help desk tickets by analyzing context and providing relevant information from previous pages or documents.

• An example illustrates how an incoming ticket about a damaged laptop is routed correctly using an AI autofill property based on content analysis.

Resolving Issues with AI Assistance

• Lauren queries whether company benefits include pet insurance related to a damaged laptop claim; Notion AI provides accurate answers sourced from internal documentation.

• Further interaction with Notion AI involves uploading PDFs for deeper analysis regarding coverage details, showcasing its capability in handling complex inquiries efficiently.

Conclusion of Workflow Demonstration

• After resolving Larry's claim through guided steps provided by Notion AI, the workflow concludes by marking the ticket as complete which triggers notifications about resolution.

Notion AI: Enhancements and New Features

Document Drafting with Notion AI

• The speaker discusses using Notion AI to draft a document that consolidates recommendations for team members, highlighting its utility beyond individual use.

• After saving the draft, the speaker employs an internal communications guide to enhance the document's appeal by adding color, emojis, and tables.

• The improved version of the document is deemed more shareable among teammates, showcasing Notion AI's capabilities in content creation.

Future Improvements and Integrations

• Continuous improvements are being made to Notion AI for better database question answering and task filing automation.

• Upcoming integrations with platforms like GitHub and Jira are anticipated, expanding functionality and user experience.

Building Workflows with Notion

• The speaker emphasizes that automations and AI features are available now, encouraging users to explore their potential in building workflows.

• A demonstration showcases how various tools can be combined to create a help desk system within Notion.

Community Contributions and Template Gallery

• Users can leverage thousands of community-created templates as starting points for their projects instead of beginning from scratch.

• Erica Anderson introduces the template gallery as a source of inspiration akin to a Lego Store where users can browse diverse templates.

Evolution of Template Sharing: Marketplace Introduction

• Erica highlights the growth in template usage, noting nearly 3 million duplications per month as evidence of community engagement.

Marketplace Features and Updates

Introduction to Marketplace

• Exciting new features for creators in the Marketplace, including direct payment collection through Notion and the ability to gather customer email addresses for relationship building.

• Customers can leave ratings and reviews on templates, helping top-quality templates gain visibility.

Template Protection and Refund Policy

• Creators can prevent unauthorized redistribution of their templates; if buyers share them, others will be redirected to purchase from the original creator.

• A fair refund policy allows customers to get their money back within two weeks, with the template being removed from their workspace post-refund.

Analytics and User Experience Enhancements

• Creators will have access to detailed analytics to understand customer preferences better as they grow their businesses on Marketplace.

• The redesigned interface makes it easier for users to find what they need across work, life, or school categories.

Creator Revenue and Global Reach

Revenue Sharing Model

• Creators retain 90% of revenue generated through Marketplace sales, promoting a trustworthy business environment.

Accessibility for All Creators

• Marketplace is available in over 100 countries; anyone can apply to become a creator starting today.

User Testimonials and Impact

Positive Feedback from Users

• Users express that Notion reduces friction in workflows by consolidating tools into one platform.

• New features like forms and automations are seen as game-changers for user productivity.

Future Developments: Offline Mode

Acknowledgment of User Requests

• While offline mode is not launching today, there is acknowledgment of its demand among users.

• Progress is being made towards developing offline capabilities with dedicated teams working on it.

Conclusion: Vision for Notion's Future

Essential Tool for Knowledge Workers

Notion's New Product Launch: Notion Mail

Introduction to Notion's Mission

• Notion aims to enhance productivity tools with beauty and creativity, focusing on user experience.

• The launch of the Notion Calendar was a significant step, gaining millions of users in just 10 months.

The Need for Change in Email

• Email is a critical tool for communication but has remained unchanged for 20 years, lacking creativity and efficiency.

• Jason and Andrew introduce Notion Mail as a solution to modernize email usage.

Current Challenges with Email

• Despite its necessity, email is often overwhelming and poorly organized, leading to user frustration.

• A one-size-fits-all approach has dominated inbox design, making it difficult for users to manage their workflows effectively.

Innovative Features of Notion Mail

• Notion Mail allows customization of the inbox like a database, enabling tailored views based on user needs.

• Users can create beautiful emails using familiar blocks from Notion and new features like scheduling buttons that integrate with the calendar.

AI Integration in Email Management

• The introduction of Notion AI aims to automate inbox organization and reduce manual triage efforts.

• Andrew demonstrates how the interface syncs with Gmail while offering customizable views that declutter the user's experience.

Enhanced Workflow Capabilities

• Users can filter and organize emails by workflow stages (e.g., recruiting phases), improving task management.

• AI assists in labeling emails automatically based on prompts provided by users, streamlining processes significantly.

Time-Saving Features

• Advanced features include auto-reply capabilities where AI drafts responses and schedules meetings seamlessly through integration with the calendar.

Notion Mail Launch Announcement

Introduction to Notion Mail

• Notion introduces a new feature called Notion Mail, allowing users to draft emails directly from their inbox.

• The email editor includes functionalities like slash commands, mentions, emojis, callouts, and quotes for enhanced creativity and usability.

• Attendees at the event receive immediate access to Notion Mail, while an online waitlist is opened for broader access later.

Future Developments and Community Engagement

• A deeper look into Notion Mail will be presented on stage later in the day at 1:35 p.m.

• The launch of Notion Mail aligns with the company's mission to integrate beauty and creativity into essential work tools.