iPhone Apps for Creatives
By Todd HenryThus far I’ve managed to avoid writing this post, but because I get frequent requests from artists and creative-folk wanting to know how I use my iPhone, (REALLY?!?!), I decided to give this one a whirl.
I’ve been using the iPhone 3G since July, and I’ve found it to be an indispensable part of my productivity arsenal. I wrote a blog post recently about my perpetual struggle between paper and electronic planning. I recently posted my final comment on the subject by stating that the iPhone has taken care of most of my concerns. (There’s still the matter of having a central repository via which I can record, track and expound on my ideas, but I’m currently building one of those. More to come on this later.)
So…to the apps. Here are my top five (or six):
1. Omnifocus. This is my “GTD” app of choice. I use it on both my iPhone and on my Macbook Pro to track all of my projects, actions and hair-brained “someday I might get around to this” ideas. It syncs seamlessly to the iPhone and allows for me to keep up-to-date with all of my outstanding commitments. In true GTD fashion, I can also track all of my actions by both project and context, plus there is a handy “due date” function to remind me of urgent items.
2. Evernote. I’m writing this post in it. I use it to collect interesting things, notes, clip web pages, take quick snapshots of books or intriguing stimulus, etc. It syncs with the Evernote for Mac app so all of my notes, incomplete blog posts, etc., are with me everywhere I go. It’s quite handy, and it’s free. (Oh…did I mention it’s free?)
3. Jott. For those quick “I want to use this later” ideas, I frequently use Jott. It allows me to record a short voice note that will be transcribed and placed back on my iPhone for later reference. (You can also use Jott to send notes directly to Evernote. Quite handy…)
4. Tweetie. This is by far the best app I’ve found for keeping up with my tweeps on Twitter. It allows me to track tweets, replies and direct messages as well as having the ability to manage multiple accounts. (By the way, are you following me on Twitter?)
5. WriteRoom. This is one of my favorite apps for Mac, and now there’s also a version on the iPhone. WriteRoom’s beauty is its simplicity. It operates in full screen mode on the mac, essentially blocking out all distractions. The iPhone app is similar in its simplicity and also allows for landscape typing so I will often use it for longer-form writing on iPhone. The only limitation currently is that it does not sync WriteRoom docs between Mac and iPhone, but it does offer the option of emailing text to yourself for later editing.
6 (BONUS APP). Newsstand. I use this to track all of my RSS feeds on iPhone. I prefer it’s usability over other readers I’ve tried. It doesn’t allow syncing to NewsGator like NetNewsWire (which I use on Mac) but it feels better to me in use.
So…all of you creative iPhone types…what are your top five apps? What else should I try?
About Todd Henry
Todd is the founder of Accidental Creative, the author of The Accidental Creative: How To Be Brilliant at a Moment's Notice, and an in-demand speaker and consultant for creative teams. Connect with him on Twitter or Facebook.
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