16 iPad Apps No Mobile Designer Should Be Without
We live in a mobile age, my friends. A time when an office is more of a formality and storage space than a real necessity. An era where companies are closing their offices so employees can work from their homes, their cars, and wherever else they land. So it should come as no surprise that the tools and technologies that make it easy for those employees to get out of the office are some of the most popular on the market today.
And, being Apple Apple, I also doubt I’ll surprise you when I tell you that iPad apps that allow designers to work from home, from their car, from their coffee shop, or from their favorite restaurant or pub are the hottest topics of conversation. in today’s design salons.
So, without further ado, let’s share what you’ve shared and talk about the 16 most popular iPad apps for mobile designers today.
adobe ideas: Adobe Ideas acts as a mobile digital sketchbook, and with the genius that Adobe’s design tools have long been known for, it offers up to ten design layers, making it a favorite for office design. iPad on the go.
models: iMockups acts as a design board, allowing you to quickly design wireframes and mockups for your website or other project. Also available for iPhone.
sketchypad: This one, I have to admit, intrigued me when I first saw it. Sketchy Pad does exactly what it says on the tin: it gives you a place to “draw” your website or app. I don’t really know how to explain it beyond that, but it’s worth a look.
air screen: As someone who regularly uses their mobile phone as a mini computer, this got me excited. I mean, I was seriously excited. Because? Because with AirDisplay, you can use your iPad as an additional monitor for your other mobile devices. Deceptively useless, this provides a full-scale view of something you’ve spent months trying to squint at. (It’s also a great tool for entertaining the kids when you’re on the go!)
mind node: This brainstorming/mind mapping tool for your iPad is the perfect place to expand and connect ideas, which is great when you have a mid-market marketing campaign suitable for brainstorming!
FTPOnTheGo: You love FTP. I love FTP. So there’s no point in pretending that something that doesn’t let you access, edit, and move FTP files along the way without giving you a massive migraine isn’t the coolest thing since sliced bread. Oh really.
Free form: Freeform is a vector drawing tool for iPad that lets you create just about anything, then export it in an easy-to-use JPEG, PNG, or PDF format. Nothing fancy, nothing difficult, and it’s compatible with most other mobile programs and apps.
ithoughtsHD: Another fun brainstorming tool that’s easy to export, this is fun for designers but brutally necessary for project managers on the go.
LiveSketch HD: You’ll never get caught without a sketchpad. Now you can have the digital form. LiveSketchHD works like a regular sketchpad, but is built right into your iPad for added convenience and protection from prying eyes, small or otherwise.
AutoDesk Sketchbook for Mobile: painting and drawing software for artistically gifted designers. Now also available for Android, designers who have used AutoDesk (I haven’t tried it personally yet) really like its versatility and the way it doesn’t limit them to any specific type of design medium. You have your 3-D and your stick figures all in one!
TypeDrawing– Typography for photos and fun for fonts, Typography takes calligraphy to a whole new level for designers. People who have used it rave about its ease and speed, even for an iPad newbie.
Zagg’s photo pad: A high quality photo editing app for a mobile device, if there is something you want to do with your photo with regular photo editing software that you can’t do here, I haven’t found it yet. However, it doesn’t seem to have Photoshop capabilities and may be more useful for photographers than graphic designers.
filter storm: Filterstorm seems to offer more versatility in photo editing for iPad than Photopad. This is another one I haven’t had a chance to play with yet; however, their product description page states that they are a favorite among photojournalists.
omnigraft: Graphics. wire structures. diagrams. Page layouts. Omnigraft. Check it out.
Moodboard Pro: Moodboard creates mood and inspiration boards for your family. I’m really not sure how to describe it, other than the finished products are absolutely beautiful and offer a definite improvement over the same old.
brush application: Another app brings the artist’s easel to the iPad. This offers realistic layers, multiple brush options, and the opportunity to digitally create works that look like they were done on an easel and brought into the digital world…
…explaining why the iPad truly is the latest and greatest for today’s mobile design.