notion-style-matching

name	notion-style-matching
description	Match David's specific Notion formatting preferences when creating content. Use when: (1) creating new pages in David's Notion workspace, (2) user says content is "over-formatted" or doesn't match their style, (3) starting any Notion content creation task. This skill contains David's actual preferences learned from 30+ pages across his workspace - tables, checkboxes, toggles, bold headers, casual tone, databases for tracking.
author	Claude Code
user-invocable	false

Notion Style Matching (David's Workspace)

Problem

Creating Notion content with formatting that doesn't match David's established style. David uses a specific mix of structured elements (tables, databases, checkboxes) with casual note-taking tone. Over-formatting with excessive markdown headers or formal documentation style feels out of place.

Context / Trigger Conditions

• Creating a new page in David's Notion workspace
• User feedback like "too formatted", "doesn't match my style"
• Any substantial content creation in Notion

David's Formatting Patterns (Learned from 30+ pages)

Structure & Organization

Databases are heavily used for tracking:

• Todo List (Status, Category, Labels, Deadline)
• Notes (general catch-all)
• Journal (Date, Name, Odometer reading)
• Shopping List (Type, Date bought)
• Projects (Name, Tags)
• Destinations (Location Name, State, Dates, Chaperone)

Page organization:

• Subpages for related content
• Embedded/inline databases within pages
• Columns layout for side-by-side content

Tables

Use tables WITH headers for:

• Structured reference data (Faculty lists with School, Focus columns)
• Timeline/schedule planning (Phase, Dates, Focus)
• Weekly time budgets (Activity, Hours, Notes)
• Decision matrices (Risk, Mitigation)
• Product comparisons (Product, Purpose, Where to Buy, Notes)

Table style:

<table header-row="true">
<tr><td>Column 1</td><td>Column 2</td><td>Column 3</td></tr>
<tr><td>data</td><td>data</td><td>data</td></tr>
</table>

Text Formatting

Headers:

• Prefer bold text for section headers over markdown #
• When markdown headers used, typically # or ## only
• Example: **FACE PRODUCTS** not ### Face Products

Toggles (▶) for collapsible sections:

• Very common in travel and planning pages
• Format: ▶ Section title with indented content below
• Used for: roadmaps, packing categories, old/archived content

Checkboxes extensively for:

• Todo items: - [ ] Task
• Packing lists
• Shopping lists
• Action items
• Purchase status tracking

Dividers (---):

• Between major sections
• Not between every small section

Indentation:

• Heavy use of tab indentation for hierarchy
• Nested bullet points for sub-items
• Day-by-day itineraries use numbered labels then indented content:

  15:
      Task 1
      Task 2
  16:
      Task 1
  

Colored text/highlights:

• Used sparingly for emphasis
• Example: <span color="green_bg">*Alaska*</span>

Content Style by Page Type

Planning pages (PhD thinking, Grad trip, Apartment search):

• Tables for structured data
• Checklists for action items
• Toggles for collapsible sections
• Multiple embedded databases
• Detailed but scannable

Reference pages (Reading List, Bookmarks, Links):

• Simple lists of links
• Minimal formatting
• Just [Title](url) entries

Journal entries:

• Prose paragraphs
• Embedded images
• Personal/reflective tone
• Minimal formatting within

Trip/Destination pages:

• Day-by-day itineraries with numbered days
• Bullet points for activities
• Links to maps and resources
• Packing lists with checkboxes

Quick notes (Sex, Casual goals, Goals planning):

• Plain text lines
• Minimal to no formatting
• Just ideas/thoughts listed

Decision/analysis pages (Weekend possibilities):

• Tables with conditional matrices
• "If X then Y" structures

Icons/Emojis

Page icons used:

• Cooking: 🍳
• Work: 💼
• Cities: 🌆
• Food prep: 🥔
• Todo: ✔️
• Journal: 📙
• Projects: 🏗️
• Bucket list: 🪣
• Bored: 💤
• Destinations: ⛳, ⛰️
• Fun: 🎳
• Thinking: 🧠

In content: Used sparingly, only when meaningful

What NOT to Do

• Over-formatted markdown headers (###, ####)
• Excessive bold/italic throughout
• Formal documentation tone for personal notes
• Heavy structure for simple idea lists
• Adding explanatory text when bullet points suffice

Solution Template

For a routine/protocol page (like Skincare):

Goal: [one line description]
[Brief context if needed]

---
**SECTION NAME**
- [ ] Checkbox item (for tracking)
- [ ] Another item

**PRODUCTS/ITEMS**
<table header-row="true">
<tr><td>Item</td><td>Purpose</td><td>Source</td><td>Notes</td></tr>
<tr><td>Product 1</td><td>What it does</td><td>Where to buy</td><td>Important detail</td></tr>
</table>

---
**ROUTINE/STEPS**
1. Step one
2. Step two (note about timing)
3. Step three

---
**NOTES/WHY**
- Bullet point explanation
- Another reason
- Key insight

---
**STATUS**
Buying now:
- [x] Item purchased
- [x] Another item

Still need:
- [ ] Item to buy
- [ ] Another item

For a trip/destination page:

Day 1:
    Activity 1
    Activity 2 at **Place Name**
    [Link to map](url)

Day 2:
    Morning: activity
    Afternoon: activity
    Evening: activity

---
Packing:
- [ ] Item 1
- [ ] Item 2
▶ Category
    - [ ] Sub-item
    - [ ] Sub-item

For quick reference/notes:

Just plain text lines
Another thought
A link if relevant: [text](url)

Verification

After creating content, fetch the page to verify it rendered correctly and matches the style patterns above.

Notes

• Style varies by page type - match the relevant type
• Simpler is better for personal reference content
• Tables are welcome and frequently used - don't avoid them
• Checkboxes are preferred for any trackable items
• When content goes under a database, use the database's existing property schema