📲My top 4 most beautiful apps
A couple of posts ago I talked about how important the arts are and the search for beauty in everyday life. Today I want to give you some examples of where I find that beauty in apps/software I use on an almost daily basis. The criteria used is not just based on how it looks, but also on how it works and its unique added value to me.
iA Writer️ ✏️
The tools don’t make the artist, I know, but this particular one is what kept me writing just so I could use Writer again. Writer is, as its name suggests, a writing software and as Britain’s national treasure Stephen Fry said:
“Astonishingly simple. Everything goes away except for the writing experience.” — Stephen Fry
Mr Fry is a wise man, so if he thinks Writer is good, so do I.
Why use iA Writer?
MS Word is great but when it comes to getting your ideas down is one of the most distracting things in this world. You write the title to that school essay and then:
- “Should I use Comic Sans or Papyrus?”
- “Is size 25 too big for the text?”
- “Hmm, this WordArt looks very nice.”
All these things get removed so you can focus on what really matters, getting your words down to “paper”.
Its no UI interface approach is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. The markdown integration to format the text is super intuitive and non obtrusive. It even has a syntax mode so to see all the conjunctions, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and nouns used.
My favourite feature, however, is its focus mode so you focus only on the paragraph you’re currently working on. An app totally worth the price.
Price: ÂŁ19 for Mac OS and ÂŁ4.99 for the iPhone
More info here
Agora 🎧
Podcasts have been a life saviour for me, I love reading, but I find it hard (here’s why), so I decided to look for a more efficient way of absorbing information. And through the ears was the one for me.
Since the discovery of my love for podcasts a couple of years ago I’ve been obsessed in the search for the perfect podcast app and after trying and not being happy with all apps out there -including the Apple one- I decided to start designing my own app. On my way to work I would get my notepad and draw wireframes and a list of features all other apps lacked and would like mine to have. But in December 2017 something happened, I discovered a recently launched app called Agora.
It was everything I dreamt of.
What I disliked about all other apps is that they treat podcasts as if they were music tracks. Agora instead treats them as if they were part of a TODO list.
Its incredibly good UX is merged with a super sexy look, many powerful features and a customisable and intuitive UI. Now I only need that same experience translated into the desktop.
Price: ÂŁ1.99 for iOS
More info here
Final Cut Pro X
This app has as many haters as lovers. But if you’re a hater, you just haven’t used Final Cut Pro X enough or just don’t get Apple’s philosophy. With its magnetic timeline Apple managed to re-invent what a non-linear video editor should be. I have become so dependent on this one very simple feature that when I use Premiere I spend most of the time cursing Adobe for its super complex (and ugly) and not intuitive UX/UI.
FPC X is the best example of Apple’s philosophy. Simple yet extremly powerful.
It’s understandable when professionals used to work with Premiere laugh after seeing FCP X’s UI for the first time. It doesn’t look like a tool that could used to make Hollywood blockbusters, but it is. Many films have been edited on it. The super clean UI make it the most intuitive professional level NLE ever made. I could not recommend it enough if you are a Mac user and video editor. You know how the the old saying goes, never judge a book by its cover.
FCP X is also a great example of the power of software optimisation, editing a 4K video on my 2015 retina Macbook Pro is a pain in the arse with Premier but in Final Cut I can edit an 8K timelapse without a sweat. If I was Adobe I would be embarrassed, really embarrassed.
Price: ÂŁ299.99 for Mac OS
More info here
Day One
A thought or idea means nothing at all if not externalised, it’s just some electric current going through your brain that gets lost forever, never to be seen again and the average person gets around 4000 of these thoughts every day. Just imagine there was a way of extracting them from your brain. That would be life changing!!!
With a little technique called journaling this has become possible, I’m still waiting for the day that we can offload all of our thoughts externally but until that day comes, I’ve found that using Day One is my best option.
The one thing that every app in this list has is a vert stripped down and minimalist approach to the UI, and Day One is no different. Vomiting your own thoughts is what matters here, no need to log where you go, add metadata, or any other fancy features, all of this is done automatically. The ability to add photos, search, and have multiple journals make it a piece of software that has become indispensable in my every day life.
By the end of last year I had written so much stuff in there that seemed stupid not to start this blog so I could share my view of the world and thoughts with everyone. Thank you Day One developers.
Price: free option, $3.99 USD/month for Mac OS, iOS and Android
More info here
I’m always looking for inspiration from new produces and interfaces, so tell me, what are the most well designed apps you’ve come across? Share them with me in the comments below :)
Happy Apping!!
