Apps of 2020
Blog / Apps of 2020
Apps of 2020- Reflection of the Products I Used Most
Its the beginning of a new year, time for resolutions & reflections. This year, I thought why not reflect on what apps I used most and why. One of my roles as product designer is to create products and experiences that people enjoy and find useful.
The idea: Gain insights into the reasons that people gravitate to certain products by exploring why I gravitate to my own stash. Enjoy 🙃.
(Secondarily share some cool things)
Notion
I Made the switch from apple notes + Paper for note taking to one singular source and its one of the best choices I made in the past year. No more searching for which app I scribbled those random notes in.
I love it because:
Its great for note taking & to-lists
There are endless possibilities for organization & structure
The cross device syncing & support is life saving. (ie mac app, web version, mobile app)
The UI is clean and uncluttered allowing me to focus on what I need
Sharing & collaborating on documents is seamless.
Concepts
2020 marks year #2 that i’ve used Concepts, as they say if its not broken don’t fix it. This app is my go to for wireframe sketching & doodling.
I love it because:
The endless artboard space is amazing
Built in options for tools are vast & easily accessible — No need to transfer my sketches to another program to clean them up before delivering.
Experience with my apple pencil is A1.
Two thumbs up for the project & folder organization options
The UI shows me everything I need and nothing I don’t and that color wheel interaction 👌.
Origami Studio
I was introduced to Origami back in 2019 but 2020 is the year we really got to know each other☺️. Though the learning curve was steep, I’m more than happy I put in the time. Origami has been my go to for prototyping over the last year.
I love it because:
I can create prototypes that have a closer feel to a live application which I’ve found allows for better user testing.
Being forced to think through the logic at such a deep level has helped me better understand the development of animations.
Being able to prototype with live inputs, haptics & integrate with native functions like maps & voice control is mind blowing. It has proven invaluable in allowing me to painting a full picture of interactions & features.
Apple Fitness
Previously known as Apple Activity, this is one of the unexpected experiences/applications that quickly became habitual once we went into lockdown. I can truly say this experience really changed my life.
I love it because:
The cross device integration is seamless
The ring completion & award experience was great for a competitive, goal oriented person like myself.
It celebrated the small wins kept me motivated to keep moving forward
The UI is stunning (per usual)
It offered me the sense of community that I lost during lockdown.
Down Dog
A pandemic, an election, adulting in general, 2020 was a record year for stress but thanks to Down Dog I was one more step closer to managing. Once the quarantine began they opened their courses up for free for a limited time (which was awesome). I’d always talked about trying Yoga but never made the time. I guess Covid made the time for me. (thanks but also screw you 🙄)
I love it because:
They offered beginner friendly courses with varying intervals. It made it very difficult to make excuses for not getting in a working out.
The training was easy to follow and felt conversational. They did a great job at assuring you that the wobbles and falls were completely normal.
It gave a boost to my confidence, noticing the minute progressions in my poses gave me a sense of accomplishment and kept me coming back.
Awesome playlists. I’ve often found that workout apps use less than tasteful tunes (IMO) but that wasn’t the case for down dog. I even added a few of them to my permanent library.
Though the music was great, I loved that the app gave you the option to personalize with your own tunes. (Shavasana to the tune of Harry Styles Watermelon Sugar was fun😂)
Pintrest still remains my OG for inspiration — No matter the subject: interior design, UI, Animation, recipes or my wardrobe, Pintrest serves it up.
I love it because:
The Curated Home is 👍 (though it has been known to open a few time consuming wormholes)
I’ve always admired Pintrests willingness to explore the unconventional in the UI space. Its always fun to discover those power user interactions.
The seamless integration with Chrome & ability to upload screenshots before saving to my phone has seriously cleaned up my photo library.
No more sharing ideas via google drive folders: shareable secret boards were the answer to my prayers.
Youtube
Youtube and I quickly became besties through this pandemic. I of course dabbled in content consumption prior, but I found that this became my go to for a quick boredom cure during lockdown. Though I feel its important to mention I was not a fan of the icon & navigation update😉.
I love it because:
It’s been a platform for connectivity in a very isolated time. Animal Crossing Live Streams & relatable vlogs kept me sane.
Reflection
Reoccurring Themes: Convenience, Connectivity, Usefulness.
As I was writing this, I found it interesting how much the pandemic changed some of my habits and app usage. It was a healthy reminder that how people experience and relate to products goes beyond just the journey within your application but also encompasses everything that happens before and after it. I’d call this exercise a success. 😉
