What’s one tool you use at work that you can’t imagine working without? We asked our team this question, and we’re sharing some of the responses below:
- Shift – Irma Sierra, VP Project Management Office
- This app holds all of your work-related programs, platforms and notifications in one place. You can check an email, reply to Slacks, search Dropbox, read over a document, and so much more in just one window. If you frequently get lost in your open tabs, this app was made to help you.
- Matter- McClain McKinney, Director of Production
- We’re constantly consuming content, and this reading app can help us consume content more intentionally. It gathers media, saves it, and makes it accessible in one distraction-free space. It allows you to stay up-to-date with content, listen to articles read in a natural voice, and highlight important takeaways.
- Wacom Intuos Pro Tablet – Nolen Strals, Associate Creative Director
- This tablet makes drawing or editing in any Adobe Creative Suite product easier and faster. It’s also easy to use for non-creative tasks as it allows for more intuitive navigation compared to using a mouse. In fact, Nolen shared that he’s barely touched a mouse since being introduced to this item.
- Figma – David Hildebrand, Creative Director
- Graphic designers, UI/UX people, and web designers—this one’s for you. The lightweight tool makes collaboration and presentation seamless. Dave shared that Figma has replaced Photoshop and Illustrator for him because of its efficiency.
- F.lux – McClain McKinney, Director of Production
- This program automatically adjusts brightness on a screen to match its surroundings and reduce eye strain. Though it doesn’t take long to adjust brightness on your own, automating it can save you time. McClain pointed out that a five second task done six times each day for a year, takes over two hours each year. As a general rule of thumb, he said if you do a task more than three times, you should try and automate it.
- Procreate – Savvy Meek, Designer
- This is Savvy’s go-to app for digital illustration. It’s loaded with a plethora of brushes and tools to make crafting and editing any project efficient. She recommends it for anyone interested in taking up digital illustration or streamlining their design process.
- Airpods Pro – Margaret Griffin, Associate Copywriter
- These wireless and noise canceling headphones are perfect for focusing in an open workspace—or generally any space. They aren’t bulky like other noise canceling headphones, and the compact case is small enough to fit in your pocket. They’re comfortable enough to wear for hours, and they’re worth considering when investing in new headphones.
- TextExpander – McClain McKinney, Director of Production
- Words, sentences, pictures—whatever you find yourself constantly typing or attaching can be streamlined with this app. With assigned abbreviations, repetitive outgoing comms become efficient.
This list captures a small portion of tools we use daily, but common themes of organization and efficiency are consistent with the rest of the tools in our toolbox. It’s a good reminder of why we use tools in the first place: to work smarter, not harder.
