My Favorite Productivity Tools: Pocket
I am currently working on a secondary research study for this publication, exploring the major differences between iOS and Android and their implications for designs, but as I’m doing this I was inspired to point out this tool that I’m using. My new favorite productivity tool is called Pocket.
Pocket (previously known as Read It Later) is, at its most simplest form, a bookmarking tool. You download a little plug-in into your browser. When you find content that you’d like to read at a later date, you just click the red button with the down arrow. You’re then prompted with a little modal that allows you to tag the article with keywords that you’d like to attach to it.
As a digital professional, I’m always coming across new articles with best practices, that I don’t necessarily get to read at the time that I want to. During these times, Pocket really comes in handy. For example, lately I’ve been thinking about re-doing my personal branding (see my article on Intentional Branding). This time really thinking about my personal brand and the thoughts and emotions that I want to convey with it. Given my busy schedule, I can’t necessarily read up on it when I want, so when I find useful articles, I save them and tag them as “personal branding.”
The other cool thing is that you can connect all of this to a mobile app! Given my “on-the-go” lifestyle, I am always on my feet and out and about. So when I get those moments to kind of slow down (for example when I’m on the train home from work, or I’m on a flight, or while I wait for my Tripleta Sandwich at Cafe Colao), I can open up the app on my phone or iPad and read up on my articles.
As experts in the digital space, it’s imperative that we stay on top of the trends in our industry. We all know that things are moving at the speed of light. It feels like everyday the likes of Google and Facebook are releasing new information about interaction design and how we interact with the web and the world around us.
Pocket has been a great tool, keeping me up to date, and organizing what I want to read next!
What’s one of your favorite productivity tools? Share them in the comments below!
