Top Mac Apps for Productivity and Creativity
If you’re a professional working in any element of creativity and design or entrepreneurship, you probably have your own list of the very best Mac apps that help you do what you do. We know that efficiency is key, creativity is paramount, and a good user interface is * chefs kiss *.
Everything I do is backed by a powerful toolkit of Mac apps and online tools (more on those soon…). As we wrap up the year and plan for 2024, I’m more reliant than ever on these tools and want to share them with you in case they help you reach your own goals next year.
Each of these tools caters to different needs and workflows, from computer storage to mood boarding and collecting to better business and time management.
Notion: Project Management Perfected
Currently Using For:
Literally, everything.
Processes and Procedures
Project Management
Content Marketing Planning
Social Media Marketing Calendars
Goal Tracking
Client Project Hubs
Employee and Contractor Dashboards
Journalling
Reading / Book Club Notes
Strength Training Plan
House Projects
This is for you if you’re still stuck using Evernote, OneNote or, heaven-forbid ‘Notes’.
Notion is a powerhouse for project management, note-taking, wikis, client hubs, and so much more. It has an intuitive interface and an extensive set of tools to build everything from project trackers to social media calendars to dashboards and wikis. From initial brainstorming to a final deliverable, Notion’s flexible and scalable tools accommodate all the nature of creative and business management projects. Plus, it is a real-time collaboration and ideation destination.
Arc: A Sleek Browser for Streamlined Work
This is for you if you’re still using Chrome but want something more advanced.
Imagine if your browsing experience was perfectly designed. Well, that’s what The Browser Company did when they created Arc. There is almost too much to say about Arc’s features, but in essence, the app is lightning-fast, visually clean, unexpectedly human, and far more powerful than Chrome when it comes to internet browsing.
Currently Using For:
Also, everything.
Browsing ‘Hubs’
File Downloads Management
Researching and Information Management
Cron: Calendar Mastery Simplified
This is for you if you’re still using Apple Calendar but want better visuals and functionality.
If your work has you juggling multiple hats (and accounts), Cron is a game-changer. From the little things like better font sizes and color display to the big things like shortcuts, meeting availability and seamless integration for generating Zoom links and Notion pages. Less time navigating scheduling means more time spent on what actually matters.
Currently Using For:
Calendaring
one-click Zoom Integration
mymind: Moodboarding and Collections Simplified
This is for you if you want Pinterest but only your content and with better UI and search.
Designers draw inspiration from various sources, and mymind curates this inspiration seamlessly. From text highlights on the web to image saving and uploading, it’s the best way to collect assets from across the web. With automated tagging for uploads and an incredible search function, it’s like pulling out a memory from your mind with a few clicks. For my fellow creative entrepreneurs, this is a must-have for efficiently collecting ideas, references, and inspiration on a uniquely visual journey. Plus, it’s a Mac app, an iPhone app, a web-based tool, and a browser extension.
Currently Using For:
Vision Boards
Moodboards
Rebrand Inspiration(s)
Color Sampling
Quotes and Reference Writings
Miro : Visual Review and Change Tracking
This is for you if you’re still sending PDFs and attachments for client review.
Creatives thrive on visuals, and Miro understands this implicitly. It transforms the collaborative process with clients and teams into a flexible visual framework designed in whatever way that best serves your process. With real-time collaboration with multiple users, it’s also perfect for facilitating strategy calls with groups.
Currently Using For:
Project and Asset Reviews
Real-time Feedback
Digital Whiteboarding
Edison Mail: Better Unified Inbox Management
This is for you if you prefer managing email in an app and not a browser.
For email management, I’ve tried it all, from native Gmail to Outlook to Spark to Airmail to Canary, and Edison Mail gives me all of the best of those. Using their Unsubscribe feature has helped make Inbox Zero an everyday reality. Plus, no data-mining and incredible privacy features.
Currently Using For:
Unified Inbox
Email Management
DaisyDisk: Effortless Storage Management
This is for you if you need an unsung hero to manage your computer storage.
DaisyDisk simplifies and visualizes the often-overlooked task of storage management, ensuring your devices are organized and optimized. There is not much more to say on that other than it can also search purgeable and hidden spaces that you can’t otherwise access. Plus, it’s pretty to look at.
Currently Using For:
Large File Removal
Core Folder Organization
Flow: Pomodoro Productivity at Its Finest
This is for you if you need help structuring your deep work sessions.
For creatives, it can be so easy to get distracted by constant Slack messages, emails, and visual reviews. The Pomodoro technique is a beloved time-management tool, and Flow makes it beautiful, intuitive, and flexible. By setting various interval types dependent on work, I can get more (and better) work out of my deep work time blocks.
Currently Using For:
Time-Management
Productivity by Project Type
Toggl Track - Mastering Time, Boosting Productivity
This is for you if you want flexible and detailed time tracking by project, tag, and billable rate.
Reliable and detailed time management is crucial for creative entrepreneurs, and Toggl Track is the best ally. It goes beyond tracking hours by project but also offers insights into project timelines and resource allocation. For designers balancing client work and personal projects, Toggl Track provides clarity and ease of use. Plus, tracking even non-billable work can help you get a picture of where you’re spending time during the week.
Currently Using For:
Project Time-Tracking
Time Reporting
Billing Process Support
These Mac apps are the backbone of my work week, and each brings unique and specific boosts to my day-to-day. If you end up using any of them and uncovering even more features in each of these, my hope is that they help boost your work too. Organized creativity, streamlined processes, and boundless inspiration are yours.
