If you’re looking for an on-the-go notebook that gives you plenty of room to write yet is easy to manage in the field, look no farther than the Compass notebook from Code & Quill.

It’s designed with a spine at the top, like a reporter’s notebook or stenographer’s pad. Its compact vertical orientation enables you to easily flip it open and cradle it in one hand while you write with the other. That makes it perfect for mobile executives. Why? Because when you’re moving around a lot, a full- or mid-sized notebook is much harder to balance.

I experienced this recently when I accompanied a group of school children on a tour of my client’s foundry. I was interviewing an adult from a workforce development agency who arranged the tour, while trying to balance my full-sized Cambridge notebook and take notes. To say it was awkward is an understatement!

In contrast, the Compass fits comfortably in the palm of my hand, making writing on the go a breeze. Its build quality seems to be excellent, which means it should hold up well in the field.

Like other Code & Quill notebooks, the Compass is designed to meet the needs of both linear note takers and people who prefer a more visual approach to capturing their inspirations. One side of each sheet contains ruled lines, while the other is emblazoned with a faint dot grid pattern.

Here’s where it gets really cool: The Compass is reversible! Open it from the front and you’ve got the lined indentation rule ready—but open it from the back and you’ll see a dot grid in ready position.

The ruled side of each sheet of paper contains tick marks on each line, making it easy to draw a checkbox or other simple geometric forms. Code & Quill calls this their indentation rule. Obviously, it’s perfect for creating hierarchical outlines that are neat and easy to read, because they are indented consistently.

The dot grid pattern is perfect for sketches, diagrams and illustrations.

The pages are perforated at the top, near the spine, so if you want to jot a note and tear it out, you can do so without making a big mess. In other words, it’s easy to share your ideas.

On the packaging for the Compass, it says that the best tools bring out the best thinking. I definitely think that’s the case with this innovative notebook.

You can order the Compass from the Code & Quill website for $13 each; volume discounts are available