Essential tools

Apple Notes

I use Notes for everything. I write blog posts, collect links, handle shopping lists, write meeting notes, plan holiday trips, etc. Everything in Notes gets synced via iCloud so that I can access my notes on all my devices.

Central Icon System

Central Icon System is my favorite icon system. It's very well crafted and gives you plenty of options to adapt. You can use it as Figma library or with its speedy Figma plugin.

CleanShot X

CleanShot X is a screenshot and screen recording tool for macOS. It provides advanced features for capturing screenshots, such as the ability to capture specific regions, hide sensitive information, and add annotations. CleanShot X also offers screen recording capabilities with options for recording specific areas, capturing audio, and hiding desktop icons for a cleaner recording.

Dropbox

I don’t trust my hardware for not breaking. That’s why I keep all my files in Dropbox. Dropbox does an excellent job, and I feel its synchronization speed is still unmatched by its competitors. However, for photos, I use iCloud, which is better integrated with my phone.

Eagle

Eagle is basically a library to organize photos, screenshots, videos, etc. You can use it in various ways. I mainly use it to collect design inspiration that I come across while browsing the web.

Figma

For UX/UI design, I use Figma. I was once an avid Sketch user but switched to Figma as their approach feels so much smarter. Further, they ship features way faster than their competition, innovating every time. Figma also saves me the Invision subscription, plus my files live version-controlled in the cloud. I even created a starter kit to speed-up my design process, which you can check out here.

Framer

Framer has evolved from being a prototyping tool to a complete web platform. It has become an indispensable tool due to its remarkable speed and efficiency. While I still utilize Figma for initial drafts, once an idea crystallizes, I seamlessly transition to Framer and work on the details there. Additionally, Framer's automated optimization features remove concerns regarding page speed, and its hosting capabilities are truly top-notch.

Github

I manage and backup my code with Github. I think it’s the best place to do so. Their collaboration features are best-in-class.

Google Workspace

I use Google Workspace (formerly Gsuite) to handle my Email, Contacts, and Calendar. As I run on a paid plan, I benefit from their security and privacy features. Google’s Email client Gmail is a super reliable app. I tried several other clients but went back to Gmail every time. Unfortunately, Inbox, which was superior to Gmail, got canceled.

Grammarly

This writing app is a lifesaver for people like me, who are non-native English speakers. Their editor highlights wrong spelling, grammar, duplicate words, and even suggests more suitable phrases. With this tool, I got better at writing English, and I feel more secure about publishing texts online.

Raindrop

Here I collect all my bookmarks. Raindrop has the right amount of features and is not trying to be the next Pinterest or Medium.

Raycast

Raycast completely replaced Spotlight. It's crazy that a third-party app is better and even faster than the native counterpart. I even signed-up for the pro version which gives you access to ChatGPT on the command line level.

Slack

As a freelancer, I get hired by companies to work within interdisciplinary teams. For efficient communication, most companies use Slack. That’s the whole reason I’m using it – to be part of these teams. I don’t love it but also don’t hate it.

Things

Things is my go-to planner for personal and business-related projects. It’s a well-thought-out app with a superb design. My important tasks are kept here, like paying taxes, project-specific milestones, short- and long-term goals, or things that need to get done by a specific deadline.

Timely

I’m not too fond of time-tracking and always forget to activate or stop the timer. That is why I’ve chosen Timely as my tracking software. It records all my activities and makes it super easy to log my time afterward according to my activities timeline.

Typefully

Typefully is tool to grow your social media audience. It enables you to draft and schedule posts for various platforms. AI and analytics help you to craft and understand your marketing efforts even better.