A few weeks back, Mark reached out and tapped me to write a post and since I always feel compelled to give my opinion (especially when asked) I agreed. So I was tasked with providing a list of the top five apps for architects. Here I am spilling out to you, the readers here at Entrepreneur Architect, the top five apps I proclaim as the most useful to the architect inside me. Here we go…
1. Penultimate
Without a doubt this one gets the most mileage out of me. It is a very simple app that replaces your notebook, sketchbook and scratch paper all in one simple package. Now I know it is not the “best” app for sketching. But I find it a highly useful all around replacement for pen and paper. The app is a note taking app that allows for photo, video and voice input. I find its best to use with a stylus. I for one use a stylus for everything on my iPad. Now you may not be able to pack much on a single page (it depends on your writing style) but it allows an endless number of pages per notebook and unlimited number of notebooks. That is where I get the most use. I have meeting notes for all of my ongoing projects in this. So at a moment’s notice I can go back to the meeting from three months ago and verify the decision we are discussing again today. Handy! This app was purchased by Evernote in the last year and is now linked to your Evernote account and becomes part of that storage. (A close second app like this is Noteshelf.)
2. Quickoffice Pro HD **
My desktop is a PC. But my tablet is Apple. So how to bridge the gap? Well this app is my go to for that necessity. It allows me to open, edit, save, etc. any MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files directly on my iPad. This is also a highly connected app that allows me to load documents from various cloud storage locations. Also you can link via wireless IP to your desktop if you want to pull files that way. (must be in proximity) Once complete with your document, you can share via email or a few online methods. But not as many as I would like. You can also generate new documents within this app. I have started many blog posts or report within this app on flights home. I also have a few preloaded template files that I used to take notes when I was AIA chapter secretary so the minutes were complete when we left the meeting.
3. iAnnotate PDF **
Need to do redlines on the go? Want to modify details while out of the office? Need to review and edit a graphic? Need to sign a proposal? Well use this app to make overlay corrections all day long! This app is a great tool for editing PDF documents. It offers a large palette of tools, actions and options to cover almost any need you might have. The PDF format is an efficient way to manage data. This application makes it easy to review, edit and deliver. You can send out corrected PDF documents in different methods, flattened, editable, original, or just edited pages only. Also this app is of course connected to most of the cloud based storage options. I mainly use this for graphics and drawing redlines. But it has the ability to do much more. (Bluebeam Revu** is a similar app)
4. Paperless
This one is a nice way to keep on top of your tasks. And if you are anything like me, you always have about fifty tings you need to do in one day. This app allows you to create different “lists” for activities. For instance you can have a work list, personal list and shopping list all separated in to individual lists. This is a nice feature when you are involved in a plethora of activities or just like to be organized to and OCD-like level. And each can have special icons that are included and also priority levels. It is a very clean and simple application that is aid in making you aware of your to-do list. Now if it could just ensure items could get completed…
5. Pocket **
This one is useful for reading. This app was formerly call “Read it Later” and then changed its name to “Pocket”. It is a simple way to store articles, posts, videos, basically anything on the web so that you can view it later in a simple manner. This is a small applet that runs on your browser and allows you to “pocket” it for later reading offline. One of the nicest features here is that once viewing on the iPad, this app cleans off all the extraneous parts of the webview page. So it strips it down to the article and image related to it. No ads, no banners, no garbage…only the items you want to read. It is nice to be able to essentially bookmark something to read after work that you came across while sitting at your desk. So this one is not exclusively for your tablet, but it is very useful none the less. Well, if you like to read.
** This app is available on iOS, Android and/or other platforms.
Do you have a favorite app? Share YOUR thoughts below.
Mark,
These are a great list, and definitely Penultimate is one of the best note-taking and sketching apps, especially now that it syncs to Evernote.
If there’s just one more (out of many others I use regularly) that you should list, it’s FormIt… a 3D conceptual mass modeling tool that let’s you study how to approach a particular building site, without getting too bogged down in details. You can also use it as a presentation tool to show off more detailed models exported from other tools like AutoCAD, Rhino and Revit. It’s available on iOS for iPad, and more recently on Android: http://autodeskformit.com
For a fun example of what is possible with FormIt, check out David Light’s blog: http://autodesk-revit.blogspot.com/2013/04/formit-30.html
Thanks for sharing Sean. I will need to check out Formit.
What strikes me as odd, the title if the post is clearly aimed at architects. Most of the apps presented as well as in the comments are general-purpose tools.
What I am quite surprised is the wealth of available apps aimed specifically at architects and more broadly, art and design.
Several categories that have a wealth of options, and lend themselves well to mobile devices are: 3D Modeling, 2D CAD, sketching, review and markup, punch lists, project management, lead tracking, capturing existing conditions, augmented reality, etc…
Perhaps a future blog post could explore these categories.
Cheers.
Hi Mark, this is a great list, I do use 3 of these on a regular basis. My selection would look like:
1. Evernote – i am addicted to this one and is my general note book. Even the physical note I take a pic and file here.
2. I have been mucking around with magic plan lately to streamline the measure-up of existing spaces. I haven’t yet used it on a real project, but think I will next chance. It is work for me on all tests.
3. Adobe Ideas – I love the smoothing of my lines and also drawing over pictures on site. I have found the builders love the pics drawn over and notated, it is a very clear form of communication. It helps clients to no end also.
4. Xero- for the books. This is cloud based accounting software. So there is far more then just the app to this, but it means I can reconcile the books while waiting for an appointment.
5. Tempo – is a great alternative for the calendar app, it pulls info from your contacts, Google calendar (which his the calendar app I use and I think it works with others), Facebook and Linked to help you organise your life and many other nifty features.
Do you like Xero? Have you compared it to Freshbooks? I am moving from Quickbooks Pro to the cloud in the next few months.
Haven’t seen Adobe Ideas. I will check that out. Is it like Skitch?
Hi andrew (and mark),
That’s an interesting list, but not sure why Evernote isn’t on there. Evernote is one of the most powerful apps, IF you make use of it. I use it for everything, personal, business, sharing notebooks with associates. Almost everything I do is tied somehow to evernote. I can also send website articles to it as well. I will admit, it takes a couple of months to get into it and train your brain to go to evernote first but once you COMMIT, it’s amazing.
Another one I would add is dropbox. i can access any files on my iphone from dropbox. sure there’s icloud and other cloud based services, but dropbox is the best one. Add in a snapscan scanner and you can just about run a paperless office.
thanks for another quality article. although i’d prefer to hear your list mark 😉 I’m not a fan of guest posts. I know they are becoming more the norm these days, but the sites i frequent, i go there because I like the person who’s there, their voice, their ideas. That’s why I go there.
David
Too bad that you don’t like guest posts… I was going to ask you if you were interested in writing about how you use Evernote and Dropbox. Interested?
I’m flattered that you would consider me for a guest post and thank you for asking. I suppose I could still not be a fan of guest posts but still write a guest post, right 😉 Seriously, my comment was more directed at wanting to know what your five apps were (which you listed below), because you are the voice of entrearchitect, so I think it’s important your voice continue to be heard (which I’m sure it will be). I do think having a guest post about something specific or a how to, like the benefits of evernote or dropbox, is a good idea for guest posts. Something more personal like the post above is better suited coming from you. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate Andrew’s effort and list, but I consider 5 Top apps to be a personal choice. So if i’m following someone’s blog that I respect, I am definitely going to want to know what they think are the top 5 apps, as an example. Again it’s that personal connection, which all of us content creators are after. With all that said, I’d love to do a guest post. I’ll shoot you an email to coordinate. BTW, Penultimate is now on my list to check out.
Just wanted to respond to some of the comments above…
I was really trying to find some new options. Evernote, Dropbox, Formit, and Adobe are also on my iPad. my iPad has plenty of apps. I was hoping to provide a list that was a bit different from the normal top lists. So the title of “Top 5” may be more correctly stated as “Top 5 You May Have Never Seen” or some such title. I write about apps so often, I wanted to give out some new info as opposed to copy and paste of a previous article. But I ALWAYS love to learn about others app habits and preferences. So I appreciate all comments and always investigate other apps that creative people use in their daily practice.
– Andrew H.
Thanks for the follow up Andrew.
Andrew, thanks for the follow up too. I agree with you. Anytime we see something Top 5 Apps, we do start to see the same ones pop up, and for good reason. I like your Top 5 You May Have Never Seen title. And yes Penultimate is now on my list to check out, thanks for that!
My favorite apps, in no particular order…
iOS Podcasts App: So, I can listen to Archispeak, Business of Architecture and 99% Invisible.
Evernote: Slowly becoming the file cabinet for my entire life.
Skitch: To quickly annotate PDFs, capture screen grabs, or anything visual on the web and autosync it with Evernote.
Buffer: To keep my social media neighborhood fed and happy.
Pandora: Keeps my tunes coming with no commercials. Haven’t listened to terrestrial radio in months.
Cobook: It’s what the iPhone contacts app should be.
Feedly: Replaced Google Reader for me. I never looked back.
Audible: Audiobooks, because I have run out of hours to read physical books.
Nozbe: Keeps all the ever-increasing number of balls in the air.
Google Maps: Gets me where I need to be, every time.
And of course, I have an app for each of my social media hubs. I prefer the originals to any of the HootSuites or other all-in-ones.
Now that’s what I wanted to see, your list Mark 😉 BTW, how is the iOS Podcast App? I’ve heard it’s gotten better. I use Pocketcasts simply because i’ve had it for a couple of years and it works well. I only recently discovered Buffer and it is amazing.
Wow! That was a great post. As a new iPhone user I learned more than I can process at one time but I’m saving the info. and will check out each app to help me organize my retired lifestyle. The info you and Andrew gave can even be used by granny’s like me to make life happier, although I don’t know if I can be any happier with my life. LOL Keep up the great job Mark. Thanks for sharing your apps Andrew and hope you get your car floor fixed.
MOM xo
Seems ok … Or you could throw the ipad away and get yourself a Galaxy note 10.1. I myself own one and the amount of things I get done with it without having to download any app is amazing. Everything is in just one place and that is the S note App. Flawless.
First and foremost:
1. Evernote & Skitch: Your brain on the web and the amazing way to mark it up and share it. I use for everything from reminders, to do , GTD, web clipping, and I also use it to archive drawing sets, and files that then become available everywhere. The best part; you don’t pay for space, you pay for monthly bandwidth (i.e. endless capacity.)
2. 30/30: a great time management tool that lets you set task durations, ordering, and repeating cycles (for more than one context). I use this to manage effectively splitting time on multiple prjects during the day as well as managing marketing and social media time…along with gentle reminders to get up and walk outside every now and then.
3. Hours Tracker: manages the billing (including rates & tax estimation) for mutiple projects, even has a IAP for geo-fencing your jobs to clock you in when you arrive on site, etc. Exports to .csv and has nice job filter and sort functions to break the data down by time frame, job, phase, etc.
4. Coffitivity & Instacast: The irony – I can’t work at home (too much distraction) so I tend to work weekends at the coffee shop (where they all play music a bit too loud to focus) and then I use coffitivity. It provides ambient coffee shop noise loops (sans muzak). Yes, I go to a coffee shop so I can listen to a coffee shop on my headphones. The results outweigh the derision. Add to that Instacast. Still the best podcast management tool I have used in years. Skip the PC/iTunes interface all together and manage it all on your device.
5. GoodReader: Still the most full featured PDF reader and mark up tool I have found. Auto-sync to Dropbox, Box.com, or any WebDAV. The app even has a nice little short cut that will enable you to download any web available file from mobile Safari into GoodReader (which I usually sync out to DropBox) where you can distribute it anywhere again.
Honorable Mentions of Daily Archi-use: iWork, Bit.ly for marketing analytics, OwnCloud for deploying self-managed cloud sync service with no storage limits, Hollargram (went I want to cause a scene in a conference meeting).
Bryan,
I am not sure if you have ever used iAnnotatePDF on your iPad, but that is by far my favorite mark up app. And it is connected to the cloud. And you have a few new ones on that list for me. Thanks for the comments.
I enjoy using Workflowy as an alternate to Paperless. Workflowy is very simple and keeps my task list available on every device and in sync. Very easy to copy and past items when working on a desktop.
I’m in agreement with those that use Dropbox, and Evernote. I prefer the Chrome web browser versus the default Safari browser on IOS devices.
I haven’t used it a lot but Paper looks like a fun and useful sketch tool but not as connected as Penultimate.
I use Workflowy for basic list and brainstorming. For my taks I’ve been using Nozbe. Thanks for sharing Bob.
While all good time management apps, some of favorites for very architectural specific things are:
1. iHandy Level. I’ve used this to change percentage grade with my phone while walking the job site.
2. uPunchit+. Allows you to take pictures on the jobsite and annotate and cloud with comments. I haven’t had to use this in awhile because of a job change, but I used to use it frequently.
I love penultimate but also use Bamboo Paper. It has a nice quality for coloring with a translucent color markers.
Pulse news has a good art and design tab with great design and architecture blogs – fun for research and inspiration.
In the business owner area, we use freshbooks which allows on the go expense tracking that you can take a picture with your phone for receipts. For note taking for multiple projects, we like maxjournal – great to keep notes organized.
Lastly in the shameless promotion category, my architect husband just posted an architectural calculator app ArchiCalc that is designed by an architect and allow multiple input formats (metric, feet/inch, decimal inches, fractions, etc.) without conversion. Simple and robust – check it out.
Some great suggestions Sue and thanks for the inside scoop on ArchiCalc.