loukash

It is clear from your screenshots that the light UI is designed incorrectly in MacOS.
In the case of Windows, this is correct, i.e. with a "dark" UI, the active state (linked) is "lighter" than the inactive state (unlinked), so that it can be seen better on a dark background.
 
With a "light" UI, the active state (linked), on the other hand, is "darker" than the inactive state (unlinked), so that it is easier to see on a light background.
 
In the case of MacOS, it is completely wrong with the "light" UI, because the active state (linked) is "lighter" than the inactive state (unlinked), so it is not visible at all on a light background.
  
This is a definite flaw in the logic of the UI, and its lack of contrast is a shame to talk about (there are hundreds of posts about it here).

This would personally be my preferred approach (don’t forget “non-exportable”).
I already leave off-canvas notes along the text where it is needed. I don’t see a separate notes panel as necessarily bad or useless, but I think it might risk being overlooked in my way of working: I would make complex notes about a document, come back later, and forget to even open the notes panel. And I often benefit from notes sticking with the part of the document I am leaving the note about. For such cases, sometimes I even pin the off-canvas note to some relevant text. I don’t think a separate notes panel would be the best solution for such needs.
And it might need to be mentioned that the terminology “Notes panel” is already taken, where it refers to the panel that manages footnotes, endnotes, and sidenotes.

So do I, since decades. But I, for one, prefer independent solutions. Since I have programmed a custom FileMaker office application a couple of years ago that can do almost everything from time tracking over sending invoices up to calculating my income tax, my project notes are now part of it. (No, it can't boil my tea water yet…)
I used to use The Hit List app which was pretty good while it lasted, but it hasn't been updated in many years, and its time tracker was too rudimentary for my needs.
Also, Affinity apps already have quite a few options to leave notes, e.g. via Preflight or Metadata. Both of which I'm using.
So rather than a Notes panel, I'd prefer to see a "non-printable" attribute being added, so that we could leave visible but non-printable/non-exportable notes on pages and the like.

I defintely prefer GraphicConverter's browser mode to Adobe Bridge (CS5.1 version here). It will nicely display the document preview, unlike Bridge. You can also set an Affinity app as the default "Open With" from within the browser, or simply leave Open With up to Finder.
Mac only.
I only resort to Bridge if need to manage Adobe documents metadata, especially since Illustrator CS5 crashes on El Capitan when trying to edit metadata directly from within the app.
For catalogs (collections), I'm currently migrating from IView/Expression Media catalogs to NeoFinder. NeoFinder is already Affinity aware. Unlike iView, of course.
There's even an iView/MediaPro catalog import option, but unfortunately it doesn't work the way I need it (yet? been in contact with the developer recently). So I'm in the process of writing me a few AppleScripts that will help to convert my iView catalog-only metadata and Sets to NeoFinder Comments and Albums which will then also include all Affinity files.
NeoFinder is Mac only, but there's a corresponding "sister app" for Windows.

@MEB 
I am frustrated that it has been almost two months since the update that caused the app to lose important features, and the issue still hasn't been resolved. The app is now useless for sticker designers, and I have to resort to using a different app to achieve a clean offset. Even with the expand stroke feature, the new curve is not as clean and smooth as it used to be. I am concerned about the reliability of Affinity for small businesses if features stop working after every update. Please prioritize fixing the issues caused by the last update before working on new ones. Can we please get an update on the progress of fixing these problems?

Your question is “Do you believe that a ‘Notes window’ is necessary?” and you say:
Yet…
How can you expect to say let me know your thoughts on the idea of a notes window and then say it’s getting way off-track when someone does exactly that? Yes, your  idea is very simple and rudimentary, however your question is much more broad.
@loukash goes on to explain his workflow and how he achieves that, then concludes with:
This is in no way off-topic!

Speaking of…
… this is what it looks like (that's an old screenshot which I have apparently posted here before):

The benefit of such a self-designed FileMaker solution:
I can have as many note fields as I deem necessary.
And so I have many…  
So there's the project notes tab (the one that says "NO NOTES" when empty), a global client notes tab, an invoice note field, a private note field (for notes like "this client is a *&%*ing &%ck"), and each task entry also has an invoice note and a private note field. It can also link to my older note taking apps like The Hit List or MacJournal if I need to look up some of the original notes from a decade or two ago. One of the fields can also link to the Finder project folder, so from here I also have a quick access to the Affinity files, if any. 
And that's the point: Affinity apps are often a part of my projects, but they are not exclusive. That's why I need project notes outside.

So do I, since decades. But I, for one, prefer independent solutions. Since I have programmed a custom FileMaker office application a couple of years ago that can do almost everything from time tracking over sending invoices up to calculating my income tax, my project notes are now part of it. (No, it can't boil my tea water yet…)
I used to use The Hit List app which was pretty good while it lasted, but it hasn't been updated in many years, and its time tracker was too rudimentary for my needs.
Also, Affinity apps already have quite a few options to leave notes, e.g. via Preflight or Metadata. Both of which I'm using.
So rather than a Notes panel, I'd prefer to see a "non-printable" attribute being added, so that we could leave visible but non-printable/non-exportable notes on pages and the like.

So do I, since decades. But I, for one, prefer independent solutions. Since I have programmed a custom FileMaker office application a couple of years ago that can do almost everything from time tracking over sending invoices up to calculating my income tax, my project notes are now part of it. (No, it can't boil my tea water yet…)
I used to use The Hit List app which was pretty good while it lasted, but it hasn't been updated in many years, and its time tracker was too rudimentary for my needs.
Also, Affinity apps already have quite a few options to leave notes, e.g. via Preflight or Metadata. Both of which I'm using.
So rather than a Notes panel, I'd prefer to see a "non-printable" attribute being added, so that we could leave visible but non-printable/non-exportable notes on pages and the like.

Hello, I noticed another annoying thing this time in Swatches.... Spot global color has two options for renaming: Rename Global Colour and Rename Spot.... the Swatches panel displays the global name there is no option to display the spot name.... the only option is to use the Colour panel.... if I do not rename spot - in print files I get "Global Colour (some number)" instead of varnish or hotstamp description.... changing the name of the spot color from the menu (e.g. "red") and then selecting "make copy" to create an Overprint color - I get "Global Colour (some number)". The expected option is a sample already with the changed name - i.e. "red".
Another useful feature would be the option to change a given global color in spot instead of adding it "from scratch" from the swatches menu.

All in all, of the expected things it would be useful to have a separation preview (probably not the first one I mention), because if I didn't have Adobe Acrobat I could throw a lot of prints in the trash.... If only the "print separations" option in PDF....
  

Two quite different approaches.
Also, while affinity.help is (quoting myself) "pretty well written", Mike's PDF book is thorough and excellent.
Those two models are not mutually exclusive. Both have their benefits at times.
Back in the day I was reading official manuals of, say, QXP, yet I also bought e.g. Samuel Hügli's "Insiderbuch QuarkXPress" which had more practical examples and tutorials. Same e.g. for Freehand, Emagic Logic and quite a few other complex software tools I was using in the 90s and 00s.
I've always found Adobe's manuals abysmal. Even in the olden days when inDesign was the best thing to happen to desktop publishing.

Ok, I am sure they will be right on it. Is it ok if it is out by end of the month or do you need it sooner?
In all seriousness, what are you lacking from other video editors out there that you need Affinity for? Not like there is a shortage of editors. 
 

Oh, definitely one that I've found pretty well written.
But as already noted on page 1, I'd prefer a PDF version.

Since many decades I have the habit to actually read manuals. Gear manuals, tools manuals, hardware manuals, software manuals, you name it. (I wonder if that could be the reason why I actually understand how to use my tools properly…? )
I've read many bad software manuals. Too many to remember them all.
https://affinity.help wasn't among them.

Think twice before you ask the wrong question: you may give them an idea they didn't even think of yet!  

Think twice before you ask the wrong question: you may give them an idea they didn't even think of yet!  

Think twice before you ask the wrong question: you may give them an idea they didn't even think of yet!  

Think twice before you ask the wrong question: you may give them an idea they didn't even think of yet!  

I wouldn't say they are "adamant about not including it."
They certainly haven't included it, but that could be for many reasons, including that they might consider it a low priority since the function is already available in the native file manager for the OS. And they may simply have higher-priority things they want to work on.

Not entirely sure about this but I think you are wanting precision at the level of Angstroms. This would be needed when designing atoms but doesn't have much practical use.

You can actually enter as many as you want and they will be accurately applied, but only 6 places will be displayed at maximum, depending on the decimal places display settings.
That said, these are value differences that you can only see at zoom levels of 100 millions of %, at the very fringe of what Affinity apps are even capable to draw on display.
For example, at the zoom of 400000000 % you can still easily see a size/position difference if you type a 7th or even 8th decimal place when using mm units. 

You can actually enter as many as you want and they will be accurately applied, but only 6 places will be displayed at maximum, depending on the decimal places display settings.
That said, these are value differences that you can only see at zoom levels of 100 millions of %, at the very fringe of what Affinity apps are even capable to draw on display.
For example, at the zoom of 400000000 % you can still easily see a size/position difference if you type a 7th or even 8th decimal place when using mm units. 

Fun fact: I haven't been even posting in this thread since last Wednesday, having a total of 6 (six) posts on the whole forums in June, including this one. So I'm a bit perplexed here about what exactly I should be taking a break from.  
Eh, what ever, never mind… I'm not taking all this stuff personally. 
Exactly.  

Fun fact: I haven't been even posting in this thread since last Wednesday, having a total of 6 (six) posts on the whole forums in June, including this one. So I'm a bit perplexed here about what exactly I should be taking a break from.  
Eh, what ever, never mind… I'm not taking all this stuff personally. 
Exactly.