Ugmonk is a four-person studio in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, started by the designer Jeff Sheldon in 2008. Its pitch, in the founder's words, is analog tools for a distracted world: no app, no battery, no algorithm, just a pen and a card. The product that carries most of that argument is the Analog card system, and the Archive is the box that holds what the system produces.
The system itself is simple. The maker's point is that most to-do lists only grow longer, so Analog limits each card to a small piece of the day. Today's priorities go on a Today card, what is coming goes on a Next card, and everything else goes on a Someday card. A pack of the small cards, which measure 3 by 5 inches and are cut from thick 100lb stock with rounded corners, holds 30 Today cards, two Next cards and one Someday card. The card is meant to stand upright on a desk where it can be seen, which is why it is made rigid.
The Archive deals with the other end of the day. Once a card is done it is filed rather than thrown away, and the maker says the point is to see progress build over time. The box is machined from solid aluminium with an anodised finish and comes with 12 divider cards. A sliding aluminium block keeps the cards upright as the row grows, and it holds up to 365 cards, which Ugmonk describes as about a year of use. Non-slip feet keep it planted. It measures 5.5 by 7 by 1.4 inches (roughly 14 by 18 by 3.5cm), weighs 2.5lb, and comes in black or silver.
The result is closer to a card index than to a stationery tray. There is nothing to charge or sync, and the only way to search it is to flip through. That will suit people who like a visible record of what they got done, and irritate people who want to find last March's note in two seconds. It is a record, not a diary.
The practical limits are plain on the product page. The Archive is only compatible with the small 3 by 5 inch cards, and the cards are sold separately. Every order ships from Pennsylvania, and international orders are not sent duties-paid, so UK buyers may face import charges and a courier fee. Ugmonk's own note says orders over £135 will typically incur import VAT, duty and a handling fee, and delivery by FedEx is quoted at one to two weeks. The UK storefront shows the price in sterling.
- Solid aluminium body with a sliding block that keeps up to 365 cards upright
- Comes with 12 divider cards, and non-slip feet keep it still on a desk
- Gives a paper to-do routine a visible, physical record of finished days
- Fits only the small 3 by 5 inch Analog cards, which are sold separately
- Ships from the US without duties paid, so UK orders may attract import VAT and courier fees
The verdict
A handsome, heavy filing box for a very particular paper habit, and no use to anyone who does not already write things down.
Best forPeople who plan their day on paper and want somewhere good to keep the finished cards.
Photographs courtesy of Ugmonk
