Software I use, gadgets I love, and other things I recommend.

I get asked a lot about the things I use to build software, stay productive, or buy to fool myself into thinking I’m being productive when I’m really just procrastinating. Here’s a big list of all of my favorite stuff.

Workstation

  • 14” MacBook Pro, M1 Pro, 32GB RAM (2021)

    The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip and 32GB of RAM is an incredible machine. The M1 Pro delivers exceptional performance and power efficiency, allowing me to handle demanding tasks effortlessly. With 32GB of RAM, I have more than enough memory for multitasking and running resource-intensive applications without any issues. The combination of the powerful chip and ample memory makes this MacBook Pro a true powerhouse for my work.View website

  • Apple Pro Display XDR (Standard Glass)

    The only display on the market if you want something HiDPI and bigger than 27”. When you’re working at planetary scale, every pixel you can get counts.View website

  • Apple Magic Trackpad

    Something about all the gestures makes me feel like a wizard with special powers. I really like feeling like a wizard with special powers.View website

  • Herman Miller Aeron Chair

    If I’m going to slouch in the worst ergonomic position imaginable all day, I might as well do it in an expensive chair.View website

Must-have product tools

  • Figma

    A cloud-based design and prototyping tool with collaboration features.View website

  • Excalidraw

    A collaborative whiteboard tool that allows users to sketch diagrams, illustrations, and visual ideas in real-time.View website

  • BrowserStack

    A cloud-based platform for testing web and mobile applications on real devices and browsers.View website

  • Mixpanel

    A product analytics tool that provides insights into user behavior and helps optimize product experiences.View website

  • Google Analytics

    A web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic and user behavior.View website

  • ChatGPT

    An AI-powered chatbot that can generate human-like responses and engage in conversational interactions.View website

  • Perplexity AI

    An AI platform that offers natural language understanding and generation capabilities for various applications.View website

  • Confluence

    A collaboration and documentation platform that allows teams to create, organize, and share knowledge.View website

  • TinyPNG

    An online image compression tool that reduces the file size of images without significant loss in quality.View website

  • Google Pagespeed Insights

    A tool that analyzes the performance and speed of web pages and provides suggestions for improvement.View website

  • InVision

    A prototyping and collaboration platform for design teams.View website

  • Axure RP

    A tool for creating interactive prototypes and wireframes.View website

  • Marvel

    An all-in-one design, prototyping, and collaboration platform.View website

  • Principle

    A tool for designing interactive user interfaces and animations.View website

  • Zeplin

    A collaboration tool for designers and developers, facilitating handoff.View website

Chrome Extensions and Figma Plugins

  • Bitwarden for Chrome (Chrome)

    A password manager extension for Chrome that securely stores and autofills passwords across different websites.View website

  • Awesome Screenshot & Screen Recorder (Chrome)

    A Chrome extension for capturing screenshots and recording screen activity with annotation and sharing capabilities.View website

  • JSON Formatter (Chrome)

    A Chrome extension that formats and beautifies JSON data for easier readability.View website

  • Selenium IDE (Chrome)

    A Chrome extension for automating web browsers, allowing users to record and playback interactions with web applications.View website

  • HTML to Figma by Browser.io (Chrome)

    A Chrome extension that allows users to import HTML elements and styles directly into Figma for easy design integration.View website

  • HTML to Design (Figma)

    A Figma plugin that enables designers to convert HTML code into design components, streamlining the design-to-development workflow.View website

  • Selective Surgery (Figma)

    A Figma plugin that provides powerful selection management and editing capabilities, allowing designers to perform complex operations on their designs.View website

  • Design System Organizer (Figma)

    A Figma plugin that helps designers organize and maintain design systems, ensuring consistency and efficiency in design workflows.View website

  • Voice Control for ChatGPT (Chrome)

    A Chrome extension that enables voice control for ChatGPT, allowing users to interact with the chatbot using voice commands.View website

Newsletters and insights

  • Built for Mars

    A newsletter and website by UX researcher and author, Peter Ramsing, sharing insights and case studies on product design and user experience.View website

  • Growth.Design

    A website and newsletter focused on growth design, providing resources, articles, and case studies to help designers drive user acquisition and retention.View website

  • Frontify

    A brand management platform that enables teams to create, collaborate, and manage brand guidelines, assets, and design systems.View website

  • Dribbble

    An online community for designers to showcase and discover creative work, including illustrations, animations, and user interface designs.View website

  • Laws of UX

    A website that explores the psychology and principles behind user experience design, providing guidelines for creating effective and engaging interfaces.View website

  • Nielsen Norman Group

    A leading UX research and consulting firm that offers resources, articles, and training on user-centered design and usability.View website

  • DesignX

    A platform featuring articles, resources, and discussions on design topics, including UX, UI, and product design.View website

  • UX Collective

    A community-driven platform that curates and shares articles, case studies, and design insights related to user experience design.View website

  • Design Checklist

    A website that provides a comprehensive checklist for designers to ensure they consider essential design principles and best practices during their design process.View website

Mac apps

  • Obsidian for Mac

    A powerful note-taking and knowledge management app that helps you stay organized and connected with your ideas.View website

  • Paste

    Simplify your clipboard management with this tool that allows you to access and reuse your copied items effortlessly.View website

  • Spark Mail

    Enhance your email productivity with this feature-rich email client that offers smart organization and collaboration capabilities.View website

  • Bitwarden

    A secure and user-friendly password manager that helps you generate, store, and manage your passwords across devices.View website

  • AltTab

    Streamline your app and window switching experience with this tool that provides a more efficient way to navigate between open applications.View website

  • ColorSlurp

    Capture, organize, and use colors from anywhere on your screen with this handy color picker and palette creation tool.View website

  • Contraste

    Ensure accessibility and improve focus by easily checking color contrast ratios with this tool.View website

  • Meeter

    Simplify your online meetings by aggregating and managing all your meeting links and joining them from one central place.View website

  • Sorted3

    Stay on top of your tasks and boost your productivity with this powerful and intuitive task manager and scheduler.View website

  • Dropzone 4

    Streamline your file management tasks by simplifying file copying, moving, and sharing with this drag-and-drop utility.View website

  • Rectangle

    Maximize your window management efficiency with this tool that allows you to easily resize and arrange windows using customizable keyboard shortcuts.View website

  • Shottr

    Capture screenshots and screen recordings with ease, add annotations, and share them effortlessly with this feature-rich screenshot utility.View website

  • Things for Mac

    A robust task manager that helps you stay organized and focused on your goals by allowing you to plan, manage, and track your tasks and projects.View website

Development frameworks and tools

  • HTML

    The standard markup language for creating web pages and applications.

  • CSS

    The language used for styling HTML elements on a web page.

  • JavaScript

    A programming language that adds interactivity to web pages.

  • ReactJS

    A popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces.View website

  • NextJS

    A framework for building server-side rendered React applications.View website

  • Strapi

    An open-source headless CMS (Content Management System).View website

  • Gatsby

    A static site generator for building fast, optimized websites.View website

  • TailwindCSS

    A utility-first CSS framework for rapidly building custom designs.View website

  • Bootstrap

    A popular CSS framework for building responsive websites.View website

  • Git

    A version control system for tracking changes in source code.View website