5 Apps I Use Every Day (Mac Edition)
When it comes to apps I use every day I stick with a lot of default options on OS X. On the other hand there is a couple of more for specific tasks. Let’s take a look on them today.
MindNode Pro
Mac App Store ($19.99) / Mindnode.com
I do a lot of mind maps / screen maps during my UX and planning process and I was looking for some simple app to help me connect a few cells together and expand my ideas. I was previously sketching everything on paper but if I work on more complex projects I need better organization for my thoughts. Mindnode was the perfect match.
There are a few different approaches you can take so it’s up you if you want to connect all the cells together or just have a basic list of screens. I always start with a few main screens and then expand/break each of them into all necessary sub-screens. Basically a list with a few levels that goes deeper and deeeper, I call it “branches”. I’m also trying to name all the cells and apply some kind of numbering system across the whole map so I can use it later for the whole project (keeping the same screen names later for the prototype/design in Sketch App). So I’ll basically get the overall project map (+ size) and structure of the naming as well. It saves a lot of time.
Ember
Mac App Store ($49.99) / Realmacsoftware.com
Take screenshots, snap webpages, draw on images, and much more. Ember makes it super easy to capture and organize your saved stuff. I was a big fan of “buckets” on Dribbble, where you can save shots you like and also a big fan of collections on Behance where you can do the same for projects. But I was struggling with search and organizing + including the rest of the content I save every day like bookmarks, videos or articles. I wanted to keep everything in one place. Kippt helped me to solve it for a while, but it’s limited by number of projects. If you want more you have to pay. Ember has no limitations in terms of space, but is pretty expensive as one time purchase.
I built my own structure of “smart collections” and folders to help me organize all the stuff I save. I have different collections to save inspiration for iOS designs, another one for web design and then a couple of more to save know-how or free resources. Huge benefit is that you can add tags as well so searching across your gallery when you need something specific is super easy. You can also apply 1–5 star rating system to highlight most favorite items.
Everything is automatically backed up on Dropbox or iCloud, so you’ll never loose your library. I love RSS feature a lo. Just add sources to get automatic updates (something like when you follow a board on Pinterest) from website or galleries you like. I’m following a few web design galleries to get the latest news & trends. There is also Chrome extensions so you can save/snap anything directly in your browser and of course iOS apps to see your library across all your devices.
Desktime
DeskTime is a real-time time tracking app that automatically tracks and analyzes productivity by sorting the different apps that you use into the categories “productive”, “unproductive” or “neutral”. I’m using it on daily basis for more than 2 years now. The biggest benefit for me is to see my productivity (in percentage) for every day and also time spend across multiple apps or tasks. “Productivity scale” feature helped me to identify most productive patterns during my work day. As you can see on the image below I’m most productive between 2pm — 7pm.
There are also “Timetables” to see your working hours. When you leave keyboard for more than 5 minutes Desktime automatically stops tracking your time. “Reports” with more detailed statistics and overviews are actually more useful for teams. You can add other colleagues to Desktime to create a team and see productivity across the whole company.
CloudUp
I was using CloudApp for really long time to quickly share my screenshots and files. Later on they introduced Pro accounts for $9.99/month (for quick files sharing? Are u mad?). But there is an app with similar name called CloudUp which is for free and with almost no limitations (1000 items/month, up to 200GB storage).
Of course there are all the features you would expect from an app like this: Web dashboard, customizable sharing or automatic clipboard uploading.
Instashare
Mac App Store ($4.99) / Instashareapp.com
We all need to quickly transfer something between Mac and iOS device. What do you use? Sending emails to yourself? AirDrop? Waiting for Dropbox, Google Drive or Photos App to sync? I use Instashare instead. Why? Because It’s actually made by friends of mine and it works every time with no issues or long waiting. Just drag and drop any file on Instashare icon in your status bar on Mac, select device where you want to send it and that’s it. There is no copy in the cloud, no registration and you can even transfer you clipboard.
Feel free to take a look on these. I’ll follow up with “5 Apps I Use Every Day on my iPhone” in upcoming weeks as well. Got a specific question? Email me directly.
Feel free to add comments with your favorite apps!
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