Today, I came across an amazing new web application called WorkFlowy. It is like having a never ending sheet of paper on your computer. For me, that is priceless. Let me tell you why. As a designer/developer, I am always on the lookout for a great way to keep up with my project tasks more efficiently. I’ve gotten into a nice habit of keeping lists in a designated notebook, but as a perfectionist, I tend to spend more time on the lists than the projects LOL! When I run out of room in the space I left under a bullet point for notes, I write out a completely new task list.
I have to keep track of hex codes for each color and all font names I use in a project, login credentials, hyperlinks to sites my clients request that I draw inspiration for their design from, and of course all of the necessary steps I have to take to complete the processes required for each specific project. That’s a lot to keep track of — and when I’m hopping back and forth between 8+ projects (which is typically the case), I need a simple way to know where I left off when I come back to complete a task!
I’ve tried using Microsoft OneNote but it’s far too feature rich and I don’t want to have to run an entire program just to access a list. My browser is always open, so the fact that WorkFlowy runs on the web is awesome. It’s simple, yet powerful and helps keep me organized — I can scratch through completed items to keep track of what I’ve done and what’s left to do, expand and collapse items depending on what I need to see at the moment, and it’s all laid out on an interface that is no different than your common text editor. One word: SCORE!!!
Some features I would love to see added to WorkFlowy:
- Print capability for those days when I’m working at the park without WiFi available — that way I won’t have to write out client preferences and other specifications for graphics or coding I’m working on before I leave!
- Export to text file function (or at least viewable in formatted text so that it’s copy/paste-able) because I like being able to have a local copy of everything!
- Multiple list management, in case I don’t want everything in one list.
- Embeddable lists so I can make certain lists viewable in my design site sidebar, or perhaps even on password-protected pages of my design site so that each of my clients are able to access lists pertinent to their projects.
- Ability to duplicate bullets (would be great to have a “duplicate” command in the options box where currently you can add a note, complete a tast, or delete the selection) because many of the tasks I perform aren’t project-specific meaning that the same tasks have to be carried out for every project of a certain type; that would keep me from having to keep typing the same thing over and over or being forced to highlight, copy, and paste. Yep, clicking one button to make the same task appear again so that I can drag it where I need it to go would be perfect :)
With those features, WorkFlowy would go from awesome to awesome-r. Even as it stands now, I’m in love.
Do your research. Would you buy the first house you see? Would you lease the first vehicle you come across? Some people spend more time deciding on which brand of sugar to purchase than they do which individual or company they desire to entrust their online presence to! Just because someone has good pricing, good terms, and a nice portfolio doesn’t necessarily mean they are reputable. Find out what their policies are regarding references. Ask around about them — social media is a powerful tool. Search Twitter using keywords that match their business name. Look through their portfolio and see if you can contact a random client by locating their website to inquire about their experience. Whether it was wonderful or horrible, most people are more than happy to divulge that information, especially if the company happens to offer referral bonuses!
Being that I am a work-at-home mom, I spend a lot of time online — I go to school online, have conducted web, graphic, and virtual assistant business through eDesign-Pro since the beginning of 2005, and have developed friendships and partnerships by connections I’ve made through social media. I have a network full of other business minded mamas (and papas)! Because of the growing blogosphere and the desire of parents to be able to support their family with incomes generated from the comfort of their homes, there is a sort of “underground” economy developing through ecommerce between mom-and-dad-owned online businesses and the clients who contract our services.
Clarity — Document everything with extreme detail and in writing. It will ensure clarity and protect both parties in the event that there is a dispute. I tend to conduct consultations strictly through email so that everything I tell a client is accessible later on should a problem or question arise.
It also supports bulk scanning if you want to get information on multiple barcodes at once. If you already have a basic scanner installed and want more functionality in an easy-to-use interface, scan the QR code to the right to install Barcode Scanner or run a search to find it in the Android market.
audio sermons by John Piper from DesiringGod.org that you can download or stream, and a share button that allows you to publish Scriptures across your social network (or via text message and email). The app’s settings allow you to set the text size, type, and color as well! You can find CrossConnect in the Android market or just scan the QR code to the right.
There is also a 99-cent pro version that lets you choose a contact from the phonebook so that the contact’s photo displays, add an audio functionality so that a pre-recorded message is played when you ‘answer,’ store the fake call in your call log, AND schedule multiple fake calls at once – you know, because it’s urgent :) That’s well worth a buck if you ask me!
I’ve gotten quite competitive trying to oust people from Mayorship of my favorite places! You can also read and leave tips about places you visit. Was there an awesome waitress that you want to recommend or a dish that was downright terrible you want to warn people about? You can do that on Foursquare. The app lets you keep up with your friends’ activity, use your GPS to suggest places in your vicinity, and show you your recent history.
Alternately, if your spouse is like mine and actually ENJOYS listening to the same horrible music for hours on end, you can always plug in some ear buds and listen all by yourself :) It’s also useful when you’re jogging or even just sitting at your PC — I plug my phone up to my computer using a 3.5mm jack and listen to Pandora as I work!
I can also manage MULTIPLE twitter accounts on this thing – I can switch between accounts with two taps of the screen. There’s also a couple of nifty little features like ‘shake to refresh’ and finding tweets of people near me by entering my zip code or using my current GPS location. Seriously this app does everything but cook me pancakes.
(this lets you select a pre-typed response to send), reply to phone number, text-to-speech, and inbox. You also have the option to disable any of the buttons if you don’t have a need for all four. There are also a ton of other little nit-picky options for you to customize the way this app operates.
When I add a blog posts, I can format the text, add media from my phone, select tags and categories, and publishing is optional which means I can save drafts to my blog directly from my phone so that I can add custom fields and whatnot before actually publishing them for the world to see. That would be my only gripe about this app – I would LOVE to be able to manipulate the custom fields… then my life would be complete :)