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If you work in the creative sector, or you are responsible for content creation for your business marketing, then I have collated some of the tools that we like to use to be more productive when being creative.
Behance
When you are searching for inspiration for your next project, then why not give Behance a browse. It curates creative content from a broad spectrum of designers and also provides a platform for you to showcase your creativity. Discover original artwork that covers wide-ranging styles. If you are looking for that spark of inspiration, then Behance is for you.
Adobe Spark
If you want to create brand-consistent graphics and document layouts then check out Spark, the web-based design app. Similar to Canva (that narrowly missed out to Spark) you can develop enticing images for social media posts, blog headers, as well as, compliment slips, business cards and other business-related designs. It will auto-generate designs based on your brand colours and typography, or you can design images by hand. With a range of excellent stock photography included, it can create designs in minutes with minimal effort.
Evernote
The spark of creativity may hit you anywhere, and you don’t want to forget that great idea because you didn’t make a note of it. This app has been around a while, but with the increase stylus usage, in the business environment, with the iPad Pro and Microsoft Surface, the ink note feature of Evernote is brilliant for scribbling those ideas down quickly. It will also auto-import images that it thinks contain interesting text content. The audio note feature is excellent for meetings, or even recording your thoughts while you are in the flow.
Google Drive
With all the exciting creative projects you are working on, it is easy to misplace things. Alternatively, if you are working as part of a creative team, then you need to be able to collaborate with your colleagues and share assets. Google Drive is a great way to organise and share your work, and also to keep a backup of your hard work.
Photoshop
One of the most well known creative apps, Photoshop is the goto for many creatives. You can use it to edit photos, to illustrate, and even create 3D objects. Sure other tools exist that are more specialised for some tasks, but the first time you learn about layers, masks and all the other basics of graphic design, I’ll bet you were using Photoshop.
Grammarly
This very article was typed up using Grammarly, its simple interface, free from the distraction of fonts and formatting, helps you to focus on what matters – the content. The grammar and spellchecking features help to keep your message clear, concise and professional. The app also stores your work to the cloud, allowing you to work whenever and wherever without having to use any other tools. I particularly like the goals feature, that makes suggestions based on what you are trying to achieve with your writing, and the audience at which you are aiming it.
Type-scale.com
1.618… or the Golden Ratio can be found everywhere in great design, from the Parthenon of Athens to the works of Salvador Dali, this ratio is the essence of beauty (at least for many). When you look at the typography of your design, and you know it doesn’t quite look right, then maybe consider using this ancient technique. Typescale.com is very simple, in that you put in a font size that you have applied for an element of your design, and it will use the golden ratio to give you larger and smaller font sizes to your base. See how your design instantly looks better with correctly sized typography.
Medium
Once you have your story ready, you need to tell the world, and Medium.com gives you a place to do just that. With its clean interface and a wide range of topics, Medium makes it easy and quick for you to get your articles published. The stats on how many opens, and how much people have read provide great insight into what is working, and what has bombed. If you wish to monetise your work, then it has the option for you to put your work out only to their paid members, giving you a share based on readers.
Adobe Premiere
Video is currently the most important medium for marketing. Whether you are using Youtube, native Facebook videos or any other platform, getting in front of the camera is the way to go. You want to make sure you put your best side forward, and a well-edited video is essential. Premiere helps you to cut together multiple clips, add transitions, edit the audio, and add graphics, all with the power of software good enough to produce a Hollywood blockbuster (and it has created many). While it is powerful, it is also highly intuitive, and you can get great content out of it on your first go with minimal effort. Being from Adobe, it also integrates with the rest of the Adobe Creative Cloud.
Youtube
As we have discovered, video is the medium to get you noticed, and Youtube is the place to share your content. You get access to a host of tools to analyse your audience. Setup channels and playlists to group your content into related subjects. Build your subscribers and notify them automatically when you add new content. However, Youtube isn’t just a great place to spread your views; it is also the place to learn from others. You can pretty much learn anything on Youtube, including the many lessons available on all aspects of the creative process.
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