Jon Wright Design

Top 10 Mac apps for Web Designers

Finding out which software you prefer is always a case of trial and error.

After a few years of downloading demos, trying out trials and occasionally getting frustrated with the rubbish that is on the market, I’ve settled on a few choice applications that make my work day a far more pleasant experience.

Of course my opinion is objective, so you you may find you agree or disagree with my choices. Obviously I’m always open to suggestions for alternatives if you have them!

1. TaskPaper
After using the online service Basecamp for nearly 2 years, I realised I was paying a monthly fee for what was basically a to-do list.

The main reason I enjoyed using it was because I could use templates, so when beginning a new project I could easily set it up using my pre-defined template project structure.

I have tried several computer-based applications such as Omnioutliner and Things, but these just seem far too complicated for what is essentially a very simple task list.

Recently I stumbled across TaskPaper, an incredibly simple piece of software that does what it says on the tin. There are no bells and whistles. I have created my project template which I duplicate and rename when a new job begins.

2. Billings
I use Less Accounting to manage my freelancing finances. However its invoice generation leaves something to be desired, very little customisation is available. 

So I actually use Billings 3 to send out all my invoices. It produces beautiful looking clean invoices, estimates and statements.

It never ceases to amaze me when people in the design industry send out tacky looking invoices, they are just as much a representation of your work as your, well, work!

3. TextMate
Like I’m sure a lot of web designers do I started out using Dreamweaver (MX at the time).

While this monster can certainly help while you’re learning web design and transitioning from WYSIWYG to hand coding, it’s just too big and cumbersome to use daily when all you need is an advanced text editor.

TextMate fits the bill, with scores of bundles that enable you to write markup in numerous different languages. The clincher for me is that it has an ExpressionEngine bundle. meaning I can churn out code in my ExpressionEngine websites with a little visual guidance.

4. Bento
Bento is marketed as a ‘database for the rest of us’. Created by the people that brought us FileMaker -  the leading Mac database application - it simplifies the whole process of creating databases and presents them to you in pretty cool graphical formats.

What first attracted me was the easy way to create custom fields and layouts. As a result I have used Bento to as a basis for my Client Database. I have included all the fields I personally need to run my freelancing business. Additionally I downloaded the Bento iPhone app so all my data is synced between my devices. Handy for being on the road.

5. CSS Edit
CSS Edit is a wonderful piece of software for, well, editing your CSS files. It’s quick, responsive and does everything I need it to. In fact this along with TextMate and Transmit fulfill nearly all of my web design coding needs.

6. Transmit
A few FTP applications have been released lately that are snapping at the heels of Transmit, but none of them have tempted me away from using this tried and tested application. Column view is essential for me.

7. Little Snapper
Little Snapper is screen grabbing software by the guys who brought us RapidWeaver. Mac OS X has a screen grabbing facility built-in, but little snapper has so much more including the ability to organise your screenshots, export, annotate, crop and publish them.

Once I tried the demo of the software, my old methods of taking screenshots and organising them felt long winded and were soon obsolete!

8. Tweetie
I tried numerous Twitter applications, most of them being pretty similar. The one that finally stole my heart was Tweetie. there is just something about it. It looks really good, works well and is unobtrusive. The iPhone companion App is also excellent.

9. TextExpander
TextExpander is a funky little application for saving regularly used text snippets and attaching keystrokes to them. You can then insert them in documents with little effort.

For example, if you get sick of typing out your address every day, you just create a new snippet with your address in, then attach a TextExpander keystroke to it.

Subsequently every time you type that keystroke your address will automatically be inserted in the document. This is quite similar to functionality available in Word, only this can be used system wide in any application that you can type into. I find this a great time saver.

10. VM Ware Fusion
There is not much to be said to VM Ware Fusion, apart from the fact that as a Mac user it is essential to be able to test websites in Internet Explorer. Fusion enables seamless integration between Windows and Mac, easily transferring files and networking between the two operating systems.

Lastly, I must give a brief mention to Dropbox, software that syncs your files online and across your computers whether on a Mac or PC. I’ve found it an invaluable tool to help me back up my documents and ensure they are up to date across machines.

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