As a minimalist generalist, I use tools that make the most sense to improve my productivity while being cost effective.
Here are all my tools I use to improve my speed of output; these are added to different sections to ensure that you can skip to wherever you like using the table of contents above.
Design and development
For design and development, I like to use tools that help me design concepts, wireframes and websites real quick so that I push to production or provide client updates faster.
Figma for productivity with social media designs
Unlike most UI/UX designers, I use Figma primarily for social media designs rather than creating prototypes.
The app's ability to leverage auto layouts and components guide me in creating assets of various sizes for clients and companies who want to promote on various social media platforms or event ticketing platforms.
Framer for web development
Alright I will come out and admit it - I go straight into web development with Framer instead of going through the prototyping stages. Figma is good for prototyping but Framer is better when it comes to the what you see is what you get aspect.
And given how it has been improving over the last couple of month, I am always eager to learn what's new and see how I can integrate these features.
My personal website's home page is hosted on Framer and the blog you are reading is hosted via Superblog with Cloudflare; more on that later.
Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo on the iPad
Instead of subscribing to Creative Cloud by Adobe, it makes more sense to get a one time lifetime license with Affinity.
I chose the iPad version so I can edit files on the go; I have considered getting the licenses for Mac too but currently I do not spend too much time on editing photos.
Procreate for illustration and quick prototyping
If I have an idea late at night and want to pen down what I visualise, it makes more sense to draw it using the Apple Pencil on my iPad.
I sometimes to try to paint or draw on Procreate but those are few and far between these days.
Forger, Nomad Sculpt and Blender for 3D design
I only need these when I am developing AR effects that require 3D assets. Most of the time, Forger and Nomad Sculpt get the work done for sculpting but Blender is helpful for reducing triangles and adding animations.
Meta Spark Studio
Despite the fact that Meta will sunset Spark AR Studio, I am using it work in AR and create some decent effects.
I will soon move onto Lens Studio to create these effects but for now Meta Spark Studio works well for my needs.
Tools for creating content
Now we move onto tools I use for creating content and publishing them to the internet.
Superblog
Although my home page is hosted on Framer's Mini plan, my mind comes back to Superblog each time I want to discuss blogging.
The platform is lightweight, straightforward and allows you to create fast loading blog posts.
It has most of what I could ask in a honest to god blogging platform without needing to update a dozen plugins or trying to figure out what additional tool is causing a problem.
I made different considerations along the way but all had their own issues with respect to convenience.
LumaFusion
Talking of convenience, LumaFusion is the no-headache video editing tool for me. I make simple cuts, make minor changes and add text here and there.
That's all I use it for and it works on the iPhone, iPad and MacBook; it is also out on Android so that's there as well.
The timeline is easy to use and I do not spend a lot of time looking up tutorials on how to do a single task.
Screen Studio
We often talk about software that feels like magic. Well, Screen Studio is certainly that.
I love OBS Studio but most of it requires post editing and it's a headache.
Screen Studio on the other hand is a neat screen recorder for Mac and it adds your webcam footage, auto zooms on highlighted areas and provides customisation options to fit your visual look.
DaVinci Resolve
For me, DaVinci Resolve is one of the best free software out there. The learning curve is steep but once you learn it you can easily edit videos.
Why Resolve when I am using LumaFusion? The latter does not have support for VST plugins and I use a specific audio plugin to clean audio. The plugin is called Supertone Clear and I would recommend it to those who wish to remove background audio from their vlogs, documentation video and podcasts.
Coming back to DaVinci Resolve, I am not keen on using its advanced features just yet but for it works well for all of my editing needs.
Crushee and CompressX
Crushee is an amazing free tool for compressing images and the entire workflow is straightforward.
On the other hand, CompressX is a paid software for reducing file sizes on videos; it uses FFMPEG via Homebrew to do this so there's some setup involved but once you are ready it works like a charm.
Both are destructive processes unless you specify and tell the software to keep original files the same and create a new copy for the compressed files.
FL Studio
Whenever I want to record audio for a long duration or create music as a hobby I use FL Studio to create some soundtracks; the free version works well but you can't open saved project files unless you buy their one time license.
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