The iPad isn't just a consumption device. It's a doing device too. Here are the top apps for designers looking to get creative
Let's face it, you'd have to have been ensconced in a decommissioned nuclear bunker somewhere out on the Russian steppes for the UK launch of Apple's iPad to have passed you by. We may have had to wait a little longer than our American cousins for our chance to lay hands on Jony Ive's newest design wonder, but it has only served to heighten anticipation.
With this in mind, many of you will now be asking what the iPad can offer you. Not only is this the perfect way to justify bagging yourself an iPad, but it's probably also born out of a genuine interest in whether the iPad can have an impact on how you design and work.
In the next few pages we're going to do our best to reveal exactly what the iPad can do for digital designers and artists; and, if you already own one, we'll show you the apps you can't afford to pass by.
Let's face it, you'd have to have been ensconced in a decommissioned nuclear bunker somewhere out on the Russian steppes for the UK launch of Apple's iPad to have passed you by. We may have had to wait a little longer than our American cousins for our chance to lay hands on Jony Ive's newest design wonder, but it has only served to heighten anticipation.
With this in mind, many of you will now be asking what the iPad can offer you. Not only is this the perfect way to justify bagging yourself an iPad, but it's probably also born out of a genuine interest in whether the iPad can have an impact on how you design and work.
In the next few pages we're going to do our best to reveal exactly what the iPad can do for digital designers and artists; and, if you already own one, we'll show you the apps you can't afford to pass by.
1 - Dropbox
Dropbox is a cross-platform app that enables you to back-up, sync and share files. Once you've installed Dropboxonyour Mac or PC, a new folder is created that shows up in Finder or My Computer. Anything placed in that folder will automatically back-up to the cloud.The iPad app enables you to access these files, view many of them (see supported types at www.dropbox.com/help/80), and send links so you can share documents with clients, collaborators and colleagues. Price: Free
URL: www.dopbox.com
Dropbox is a cross-platform app that enables you to back-up, sync and share files. Once you've installed Dropboxonyour Mac or PC, a new folder is created that shows up in Finder or My Computer. Anything placed in that folder will automatically back-up to the cloud.The iPad app enables you to access these files, view many of them (see supported types at www.dropbox.com/help/80), and send links so you can share documents with clients, collaborators and colleagues. Price: Free
URL: www.dopbox.com
2 - Adobe Ideas
As you may have guessed from the name, Adobe Ideas isn't about creating high-end graphical work.This free app from Adobe provides you with a canvas to quickly sketch out ideas. There's support for a 'Draw'and'Photo'layer, so you can sketch over previous work and photos. If you're stuck for inspiration, there's even the option to generate a colour palette based on a photo or illustration.
As you may have guessed from the name, Adobe Ideas isn't about creating high-end graphical work.This free app from Adobe provides you with a canvas to quickly sketch out ideas. There's support for a 'Draw'and'Photo'layer, so you can sketch over previous work and photos. If you're stuck for inspiration, there's even the option to generate a colour palette based on a photo or illustration.
Price: Free
URL: www.edobe.Com
3 Pulse
Keeping up with the latest design news isn't easy, and, to date apps that aggregate RSS news feeds have had the aesthetic appeal of a cow's arse. Thankfully, Stanford graduate students Ankit Gupta and Akshay Kothari have redressed the balance. Pulse pulls feeds into a text/image gird, which can be navigated both vertically and horizontally. Feeds are a cinch to add (and find), and it's our reader of choice!
Keeping up with the latest design news isn't easy, and, to date apps that aggregate RSS news feeds have had the aesthetic appeal of a cow's arse. Thankfully, Stanford graduate students Ankit Gupta and Akshay Kothari have redressed the balance. Pulse pulls feeds into a text/image gird, which can be navigated both vertically and horizontally. Feeds are a cinch to add (and find), and it's our reader of choice!
4iMockups
iMockups has been created to enable the quick and easy production of wireframes and layouts, especially for sites and apps. Once you get around the (already grating) wood/brushed steel interface, there are bags of noteworthy features. The ability to drag and drop elements including text areas, image holders and navigation blocks means that, rather than helping supplement your current workflow, iMockups could actually play an integral role in how you tackle new projects. Price: £5.99
URL: www.endloop.ca
iMockups has been created to enable the quick and easy production of wireframes and layouts, especially for sites and apps. Once you get around the (already grating) wood/brushed steel interface, there are bags of noteworthy features. The ability to drag and drop elements including text areas, image holders and navigation blocks means that, rather than helping supplement your current workflow, iMockups could actually play an integral role in how you tackle new projects. Price: £5.99
URL: www.endloop.ca
5 Brushes
This is a great app if you want a painting tool for the iPad. There's a decent colour palette, and you can choose from a selection of brushes (and adjust size, opacity and spacing). Multi-touch enables you to navigate your canvas and zoom in for detailed work.There's even the option to replay your painting and export it as a QuickTime movie. However, those looking for more control may want to consider a stylus, such as the Pogo Touch at www.tenonedesign.com.
This is a great app if you want a painting tool for the iPad. There's a decent colour palette, and you can choose from a selection of brushes (and adjust size, opacity and spacing). Multi-touch enables you to navigate your canvas and zoom in for detailed work.There's even the option to replay your painting and export it as a QuickTime movie. However, those looking for more control may want to consider a stylus, such as the Pogo Touch at www.tenonedesign.com.
6 Air Sharing HD
If you want to have the option of moving files back and forth between your primary computer and the iPad, with the option to view, share and print, this could be for you (there is also online compatibility with Dropbox, iDisk and WebDAV).The inability to print is a contentious issue on the iPad, and this app offers a workaround. You'll need to be running OS X and have printer sharing enabled, though.
If you want to have the option of moving files back and forth between your primary computer and the iPad, with the option to view, share and print, this could be for you (there is also online compatibility with Dropbox, iDisk and WebDAV).The inability to print is a contentious issue on the iPad, and this app offers a workaround. You'll need to be running OS X and have printer sharing enabled, though.
7 OmniGraffle
OmniGraffle is one of those perennial Mac favourites that makes a seamless and obvious transition to the iPad. It's effectively an ideas tool that enables you to quickly bash together website wireframes, diagrams, process charts or page layouts. You select a document type, and OmniGraffle makes context-sensitive joins between separate elements, automatically linking lines in diagrams and aligning shapes and elements in wireframes or page layouts.
OmniGraffle is one of those perennial Mac favourites that makes a seamless and obvious transition to the iPad. It's effectively an ideas tool that enables you to quickly bash together website wireframes, diagrams, process charts or page layouts. You select a document type, and OmniGraffle makes context-sensitive joins between separate elements, automatically linking lines in diagrams and aligning shapes and elements in wireframes or page layouts.
Cost: £49.99
URL www.omnjgroup.com
8 Projector
Project management is not a sexy subject. It just isn't. However, if you're overseeing remotely complex projects you'll need some way of making sense of the various tasks, processes and resources involved. You can view via Gantt chart or resource, and there's upcoming support for dependency linking (a way to link two or more codependent tasks together). Like we said, not sexy, but it's a cinch to use. Developer
Project management is not a sexy subject. It just isn't. However, if you're overseeing remotely complex projects you'll need some way of making sense of the various tasks, processes and resources involved. You can view via Gantt chart or resource, and there's upcoming support for dependency linking (a way to link two or more codependent tasks together). Like we said, not sexy, but it's a cinch to use. Developer
U RL: www.app4mac.com
Cost: £8.99
9 Air Display
Avatron Software is in a unique position In this round-up, as the company has not just one but two apps featured in our top 20. Like Air Sharing, Air Display is all about improving productivity, and this app achieves this by transforming your iPad into a second, wireless display for your Mac. Install the app on your iPad, go to follow the instructions and you're good to go.
Avatron Software is in a unique position In this round-up, as the company has not just one but two apps featured in our top 20. Like Air Sharing, Air Display is all about improving productivity, and this app achieves this by transforming your iPad into a second, wireless display for your Mac. Install the app on your iPad, go to follow the instructions and you're good to go.
Cost: £5.99
10 Evernote
■ Evernote is a repositoryfor all the little bits of disparate data you accrue from day to day, and as such makes it brilliantly easy to stay organised. There's a free basic account (offering 40MB of uploads a month), but for $5-per-month, or $45 for the year, you get 500MB of uploads each month, collaboration tools and more powerful search options.
Cost: Free/$5-per-month
Developer URL: WWW.evernote.Com■ Evernote is a repositoryfor all the little bits of disparate data you accrue from day to day, and as such makes it brilliantly easy to stay organised. There's a free basic account (offering 40MB of uploads a month), but for $5-per-month, or $45 for the year, you get 500MB of uploads each month, collaboration tools and more powerful search options.
Cost: Free/$5-per-month
11 Mind Node
Mind-mapping may not be exciting, but it can be a handy entry point into a broader conundrum that many developers and designers swear by. MindNode makes the process brutally simple, whether you're making a to-do list or complex business plan. Just dash out each idea strand as a node, then push them around the canvas to bring order to youranarchic ideas.
Mind-mapping may not be exciting, but it can be a handy entry point into a broader conundrum that many developers and designers swear by. MindNode makes the process brutally simple, whether you're making a to-do list or complex business plan. Just dash out each idea strand as a node, then push them around the canvas to bring order to youranarchic ideas.
Developer URL: www.mindnode.com
Cost: £3.49
12 Wired Reader
Developed using Adobe technology, the iPad app
from Wired is one of the best examples of a digital
magazine that we've seen thus far. Having said
this, it's not an amazing accolade, as the competition is pretty dire.
Weighing in at 500MB per issue (yes. you read that right) the Wired
app provides a new audience with the award-winning design and
content found within the print publication.
Developer URL: www.wired.com/magazine/ipad
Cost: £2.99 per issue
Developed using Adobe technology, the iPad app
from Wired is one of the best examples of a digital
magazine that we've seen thus far. Having said
this, it's not an amazing accolade, as the competition is pretty dire.
Weighing in at 500MB per issue (yes. you read that right) the Wired
app provides a new audience with the award-winning design and
content found within the print publication.
Developer URL: www.wired.com/magazine/ipad
Cost: £2.99 per issue
13 Phaidon Design Classics
The editors at design publishing house Phaidon have collated images and descriptions of 1,000iconic objects from the last 200 years. You can search by description or opt for a Coverflow browsing interface that enables you to scroll quickly through items (and shave hours
from your project production time in the process). Whether you're interested in the origins of the Chopper or how the name Crayola came to be, it's all in this app.
Developer URL: www.phaidon.com
Cost: £11.99
14 Cool hunting
This app from the people behind www.coolhunting.com claims to be a 'daily curation
covering the forefronts of design, culture and technology' It essentially pulls the content found on the web into a custom-built design, which serves the content well. The app's completely free, and if you're looking for design inspiration and a good example of how to repackage web content, it's definitely worth installing.
Developer URL: www.Coolhunting.ComThis app from the people behind www.coolhunting.com claims to be a 'daily curation
covering the forefronts of design, culture and technology' It essentially pulls the content found on the web into a custom-built design, which serves the content well. The app's completely free, and if you're looking for design inspiration and a good example of how to repackage web content, it's definitely worth installing.
Cost: Free
15 Things
People either love the task management app Things, or they think it's just another way to put off
what you should be doing. The simple and intuitive interface enables you to schedule tasks, create projects and more.
Things comes in three flavours {Mac iPhone, iPad), each of which you have to pay for separately. Also, if you use it across multiple devices, there's no web-based syncing (only wi-fi).
Developer url: www.culturedcode.com/thingsPeople either love the task management app Things, or they think it's just another way to put off
what you should be doing. The simple and intuitive interface enables you to schedule tasks, create projects and more.
Things comes in three flavours {Mac iPhone, iPad), each of which you have to pay for separately. Also, if you use it across multiple devices, there's no web-based syncing (only wi-fi).
Cost: £11.99
16 Marvel Comics
You might be thinking 'What the heck does this app have to do with design?!! However, at the time
of writing, this is one of the best examples of designers taking full advantage of the new possibilities offered by the iPad, and we felt that justified inclusion. Either view comic pages in their entirety or swipe the screen to transition from panel to panel. It's free and you get a few sample comics. Check it out!Developer
You might be thinking 'What the heck does this app have to do with design?!! However, at the time
of writing, this is one of the best examples of designers taking full advantage of the new possibilities offered by the iPad, and we felt that justified inclusion. Either view comic pages in their entirety or swipe the screen to transition from panel to panel. It's free and you get a few sample comics. Check it out!Developer
17 Sketchbook Pro
Autodesk is a well-known player in the world of M desktop paint packages, and Autodesk's
JmLm W Sketchbook Pro is now available on the tPad.The app offers a variety of paint tools, including 75 preset brushes including pens and markers. You can edit brush sensitivity,
customise colour swatches, use an eyedropper for colour selection and work with multiple layers. Is it the best in class? Probably.
Autodesk is a well-known player in the world of M desktop paint packages, and Autodesk's
JmLm W Sketchbook Pro is now available on the tPad.The app offers a variety of paint tools, including 75 preset brushes including pens and markers. You can edit brush sensitivity,
customise colour swatches, use an eyedropper for colour selection and work with multiple layers. Is it the best in class? Probably.
18 Air Video Server
Servers are great. We love them. No, seriously. And
Air Video Server is a great way to push video to
iPads within your agency. Simply install the
software from the dev site on your Mac or PC (where the videos will
reside), then install Air Video Server on each iPad that you want to
push video to. It's a great way to share video, and ensures valuable
iPad disk space isn't taken up with work-related movies.
Servers are great. We love them. No, seriously. And
Air Video Server is a great way to push video to
iPads within your agency. Simply install the
software from the dev site on your Mac or PC (where the videos will
reside), then install Air Video Server on each iPad that you want to
push video to. It's a great way to share video, and ensures valuable
iPad disk space isn't taken up with work-related movies.
Developer URL: www.inmethod.com/air-video
Cost: £1.79
19 FlickStackr
FlickStackr is a really useful app for browsing the photos in your Flickr account, with the option to
swipe through photos and pinch/zoom.
Navigating your photos couldn't be easier, and the same can be said for uploading. But the really great thing about FlickStackr is that you don't actually need a Flickr account to browse through the millions of published photos.
FlickStackr is a really useful app for browsing the photos in your Flickr account, with the option to
swipe through photos and pinch/zoom.
Navigating your photos couldn't be easier, and the same can be said for uploading. But the really great thing about FlickStackr is that you don't actually need a Flickr account to browse through the millions of published photos.
Developer URL: www.ipont.jubilo.ca/ip/stackr
Cost: £0.59
20 WordPress
If you showcase your work via a website, there's
a very good chance that you're using WordPress
to power the little blighter. The WordPress app
for the iPad enables you to add new posts whilst you're on the go.
and you can also attach pictures to posts. It's not the most
feature-rich app we've ever seen, but it's intuitive to use, and, best
of all, it's free!
Developer URL: www.wordpress.com
Cost: Free
If you showcase your work via a website, there's
a very good chance that you're using WordPress
to power the little blighter. The WordPress app
for the iPad enables you to add new posts whilst you're on the go.
and you can also attach pictures to posts. It's not the most
feature-rich app we've ever seen, but it's intuitive to use, and, best
of all, it's free!
Developer URL: www.wordpress.com
Cost: Free
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