ThisIsInspired Magazine

In the age we live in as designers and developers so much of our work takes place online — at least a large portion of the collaborative aspect of the project. When you’re setting up a design — idea hashing, wireframing, etc etc. Fortunately, there are bunch of little apps that can really help this part of a project go easier.

Each of these pieces of software I’ve tried myself – and have used several times given the fact they’re great for testing, for interacting and for collaborating (well, and they’re free. Big plus. Biiiiig plus.) On the benefits side, they’re also small applications in themselves and well designed. You can incorporate them smoothly into an existing workflow to leverage the most productivity.

DropBox

DropBox appeared on the scene, what, two years ago now? as a public beta (I was involved, as were, I’m sure many others) and it’s only gotten better since it’s release and success. DropBox, for those that may not understand, is a little app that runs in the background and manages a special folder (and/or a subset of folders) that syncronizes to your space on the DropBox server (2GBs to start, but you can pay for more, or like me, earn more through referrals. You’d be surprised at how many documents two gigs can hold) and from which you can download to your iPhone or iPod Touch or any other computer where you’ve also install DropBox. The power of this is that all you do is copy or move the document into the DropBox folder on your computer and it automatically syncs all down the line. With the added option of sharing only certain folders with certain people, it’s a great way to handle collaboration with a whole department and with individuals (and individual departments.) You can share specific documents with the art department, for example, and others specifically with the development people.

DropBox.com

TinyGrab

If you know anything about the working environment on my computer, it’s that I can’t stand clutter and extraneous things. The only two items I have that start up automatically when I log in are DropBox and TinyGrab. Both are small, and TinyGrab is even less in evidence.

The way TinyGrab works is like this: You have a portion of the screen, or the whole screen, that you need to clip out and import into Photoshop or share with someone in Design (or, heck, even just copy a funny comic and share it on Twitter). TinyGrab is good, TinyGrab is your friend. It piggybacks on the built-in keyboard shortcuts already used by the operating system and detects when they’re activated. So, when you screen grab TinyGrab detects you’ve grabbed a screen and then in the background uploads this to the server, and then copies the URL of the image to the clipboard automatically so you can just paste it wherever. This is very handy if you’re taking critiques across a network and don’t have the indulgence of the other person or people right there with you looking at the same screen. Literally, in the time it takes to snap a screen you can share whatever you want.

This shaves off the workflow-speed bumping incurred by opening an FTP application, dragging the screen grab onto the server, going online, grabbing the URL, and if needed, then shortening that URL to share socially. Also, with TinyGrab you have the option to either upload to the TinyGrab server (they offer both free and paid accounts) or upload using your own custom FTP settings.

It doesn’t seem all that magnificent in description, but once you’ve used it a bit you’ll wonder how you lived without it for so long.

TinyGrab.com

LiveView for iPhone

LiveView for iPhone (and for Macintosh OS X) is a screen sharing tool that lets you show an iPhone-sized bite of your desktop with anyone using an iPhone — provided, of course, they have the LiveView app installed and you’ve given them permission.

LiveView is great for screen sharing in mobile environments or for people on the go – either clients or workmates – and in situations where you’d like to have some notes on the side (off screen) and still collaborate in real time. The LiveView app can be moved anywhere on your screen, so can define what area of the screen to share (and even move it around whenever you want to share other areas.)

Unfortunately, LIveView only works between desktop and iPhone — you can’t link up two desktops. Nonetheless, with the ubiquity of iPhones it can still be a powerful tool for people who would otherwise be busy. If your client’s got an iPhone, the LiveView app is free and can be downloaded, installed, and uninstalled in seconds. As such, it’s great for sharing visual ideas with a client or getting some quick feedback.

Zambetti.com/projects/liveview

Notable

Notable, again in both free and paid options, is for making notes on a design sharable with others. You upload an image or screen grab to Notable and then using their online software define certain areas of the design and describe them. It’s very easy to use, and easy to understand. I’ve used Notable for providing the initial mockups to clients and explaining key areas to help them understand the design. Notable isn’t real time (you upload the image, take your notes, and it sits until the other party logs in) but therein is why it can be so useful. The times I’ve used it are times I’ve had trouble working out schedules with a client; using Notable, I’ve been able to present the mock, explain certain key areas, and invite feedback – all on the reader’s schedule as their time permits. This can be either a blessing or a curse, depending on how you look at it.

The interface is something you have to fiddle with a bit to learn. It’s plain enough, but you do need to take some time to get acquainted… I did, at least.

NotableApp.com

Chicken of the VNC

Chicken of the VNC (hereafter just “Chicken”) is a virtual network computing app (free, of course) that enables screensharing — of the whole screen, not just a small window. Whereas LiveView will sample a portion of the screen for those on the go (equally useful in many circumstances) Chicken allows the whole screen to be shared and collaborated.

Chicken works over a network and enables a guest to remotely share control of the computer in question with the person who’s sitting right in front of it. “A picture is worth a thousand words” — and being able to actively demonstrate user paths and navigation for a client might be worth a few million. Once you establish a connection (via IP and password) the guest can then demonstrate very easily how users may navigate a given design, demonstrate for a client how to access and comment on a mock provided in a staging area, etc etc.

While Chicken doesn’t match the features offered by some other services likes Bonjour, Chicken is very fast, simple and painless. It does one thing and does it rather well — Virtual Network Computing. Live demonstrations can be pretty easy, and I’ve used this app numerous times myself to demonstrate certain processes or navigation paths for others.

MurphyMac.com/chicken-of-the-vnc/

Free, Simple, & Tested

Again, these aren’t apps I’ve just pulled out of a hat. It’s a handful (literally) of little, free, almost-insignificant-but-so-useful-in-their-own-niche applications I’ve used myself and still have installed and open regularly.

What collaborative tools do you use? Any you’d like to recommend?