Apps for Designers
In the modern design office, smartphone apps are being used as both actual tools and virtual tools—from tape measures to drafting aids. “I've always brought technology into the classroom,” said designer Phyllis Harbinger, who wrote The Interior Design Productivity Toolbox (Wiley, 2014) and also teaches studio design and professional practice courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology. If her students are any indication of the future of the industry, she said, “apps will be an indispensable element for remaining competitive in the design field.”
Here is a sampling of some of the top app picks from industry leaders:
Image Meter Pro “It allows us to annotate our digital pictures with dimensions,” explains Gideon Mendelson. “Whether we're documenting a client's existing conditions, cataloging a client's belongings or simply noting a construction detail, I haven't carried a notebook to site meetings in years.” Image-meter-pro.soft112.com. Designer John Douglas Eason uses a similar app called My Measures.TOOLS
http://mymeasuresapp.com/
Kravet Match “I'm always snapping photos on my phone, so it's so great to be able to instantly select fabrics, furnishings and carpets right when the idea strikes. Kravet Match allows me to interpret inspiration from any source by providing numerous matches that are similar based on design and color—whether it be a tapestry I see in a museum in England, or a woven sarong from a village I'm exploring in Bali,” said Kati Curtis of Kati Curtis Design. http://match.kravet.com/SHOPPING
Harvest “Keeping track of hourly billing can be really tedious,” notes Shawn Henderson. “Harvest is really useful because I can track my hours on my phone or on my desktop. It has a timer to start and stop—super helpful!” https://www.getharvest.com/PRODUCTIVITY
MileIQ “It tracks where you go every step of the way during projects,” observed Harbinger. “It gives you weekly and monthly reports.” https://www.mileiq.com/
Roomle MichelleNussbaumer believes “This is the best of the floorplan apps, and the easiest to use. It's great for a quick client meeting.” The user can drop furniture (from Roomle's catalog or brand products) into floorplans to clearly illustrate flow and layout. https://www.roomle.com/DESIGN AND PRESENTATIONS
SketchUp “This semester four students used this for assignments,” said Harbinger. “Those projects were so much more informed than those done in a traditional manner because you get to see things in 3-D view, which you can't from a plan or elevation. Much more fluid than CAD.”
https://www.sketchup.com/
Morpholio Board With its layout, collage, illustration and annotation functions, this app, said
Kelly Behun, “is great for creating mood boards that I can easily share with clients when I'm on the run.” http://morpholioapps.com/board/
Source: Excerpted from Editor at Large's Business at Home, by Jorge Arango, fall 2016 issue
