Day Designer Mini Planner Review: Tiny But Mighty

Day Designer’s mini planner is a BIG deal. Of course, it’s the same quality tool you expect a Day Designer planner to be. Fewer inches doesn’t detract from its space, wisdom, or beauty. Here’s a rundown of exactly what you get with a Day Designer Mini.

Size Matters. Or Does it?

The Day Designer Mini measures 6.625 x 8.3 inches, which is almost three inches thinner and one inch shorter than the regular Day Designer planner. Naturally, a smaller planner means there’s less space.

Luckily, Whitney English found a way to keep it as comprehensive as the original. There’s still plenty of space for you to write your schedule and to-dos without making your handwriting fairy-sized. In fact, there’s room for the Due/Don’t Forget/Dinner/Dollars, Notes, and Daily Gratitude boxes.

That being said, there are some differences worth noting. A smaller planner means a few cuts had to be made, particularly in the length of the daily schedule and to-do list. Instead of 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., the schedule spans 12 hours, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. This is still a generous schedule, but it doesn’t leave room for late-night events or early-morning plans (morning workouts, anyone?).

It’s Not the Today & To Do

Even though it is very similar to the Today and To Do, the Mini planner is a true Day Designer planner. Today & To Do wasn’t dated and didn’t have goal-setting pages like the original. Aside from that, the two are very similar in daily layout and size. However, the Today & To Do was discontinued and replaced with the Mini, and that’s a good thing—the mini Day Designer planner truly has more to offer as a planner.

Cover Options

The Mini comes in a variety of cover options ranging from solids to florals to fun prints. However, these two covers are brought back each year for a reason—they’re pretty and incredibly popular. The protective gold corners are a luxe touch.

Set Those Goals, Girl

It might be smaller, but the Mini still packs a goal-setting punch with the characteristic goal-setting worksheets from Day Designer. Each category is included, and the spreadsheets aren’t missing any sections. Obviously, it all fits into a smaller space, so you will have to use shorthand here, but that doesn’t detract from the value of these goal-setting and tracking pages.

This planner will still help you along to your goals and dreams like the original, but it will help you without adding more weight than you’re comfortable carrying in your purse or backpack.

You Should Choose the Mini…

• If you want a smaller, high-quality planner to fit in your purse.
• If you want a 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. schedule.

The Day Designer Mini is great for anyone working in a school setting, students who need room to write lots of tasks every day, and moms who need the organization without the bulk of the original. The organized daily layout can help anyone juggle the many demands a day brings and keep calm through it all.

Day Designer might call it “mini,” but this planner is just as mighty as its full-sized sister. You can trust it to keep you organized, focused, and prepared throughout the academic year.

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*Updated December 18, 2023.