I Tried All the Mac Apps for Designers. Here Are the Ones I Can’t Live Without.

Where I spend my time designing, writing, and being productive

My Mac is my design studio, writing room, communications center, and remote office. I’m always interested in finding better tools for my job — tools that are as beautiful as they are functional. Many people hate switching apps, but I love it. A few months ago, I was a loyal user of the collaborative interface design app Sketch; now I use Figma. A couple years ago, I was creating flow diagrams in Omnigraffle; now it’s Overflow. I’ve used every email app under the sun and switched note-taking apps more times than I care to admit.

Here are the Mac apps I’m using all the time these days, in alphabetical order.

1Password

$2.99/month (individual); $4.99/month (family)

You’re using a password manager, right? Right? If you’re not, this is the one to get. 1Password recently switched to a subscription model (who hasn’t?), a move that frustrated some users. Still, for something as important as the security of your password data, I think it’s worth it to know the app is up to date on all the latest threats. I use 1Password to store everything from logins to software licenses, credit cards to important documents…