Aster Studio
Notion templates

Aster Studio

calm Notion systems, made slowly

Planners for people who read, write and think for a living. Every template is built and tested by a PhD researcher who needed it first, and every one works on Notion's free plan.

See the templates
The flagship

PhD HQ, a home for the whole dissertation

Scrolling through the PhD HQ home page: today's tasks, a pomodoro timer, study music, the paper pipeline and the dissertation timeline

PhD HQ

Dissertation & thesis planner · $12 launch price

Your papers, your timeline from exposé to defence, a literature matrix that syncs with Zotero, supervision notes and teaching, in one calm place. Focus mode is built in: a clock, a pomodoro and your study playlist right next to your to-do list.

  • Paper pipeline
  • PhD timeline
  • Literature matrix
  • Zotero sync
  • Pomodoro
  • Word counter
Get it on the Notion Marketplace
Focus mode in PhD HQ: index-card clock, pomodoro timer and a study playlist
The literature matrix in PhD HQ with themes, methods, research questions and findings
Free templates

Two small ones, on the house

Supervisor Meeting Log: a meeting log table and an open meeting card with agenda, decisions and to-dos

Supervisor Meeting Log

Agenda before, decisions right after. One card per meeting, a before and after checklist, and a tab that reminds you to send the summary email.

Free · in review on the Notion Marketplace
PhD To-Do List: today's tasks with priorities, this week's tasks and this month's big three

PhD To-Do List

Today, this week and this month in one place, with priorities, a big three for the month, and an Overdue tab so nothing quietly disappears.

Free · in review on the Notion Marketplace
On the desk

Next from the studio

Lit Review HQ

A literature review tracker with a theme and gap map, a writing desk and a reading timer.

In testing
Bake Book

A recipe journal and bake log with ratings, notes for next time and a seasonal shelf.

In testing
Study planners

Digital planners and sticker kits for Goodnotes, in the same calm style.

Sketching
Aster Studio logo: the word aster on an index card with two stars
About

Made by a PhD researcher, for the long haul

I'm a PhD researcher in Germany. I got tired of planning my dissertation across twelve apps and a pile of sticky notes, so I built the system I wanted in Notion and kept refining it until it felt calm to open every morning.

Aster means star. Every template here started as something I use myself, and each one ships with a "start here" guide and example content, so it feels alive from day one.