Apps, books, links, and things I kept returning to this month. Continuing the monthly format from March, mostly to have a record of what was actually useful at a given point in time.
Arc Browser
I have been using Arc for about two years now. The feature I keep recommending to people is spaces: a separate workspace for each project, so tabs from client work do not end up next to tabs from a side project. Pinned tabs stay in place across sessions, which sounds minor until you have used a browser where they do not. There are keyboard shortcuts for most things you would want to do without touching the mouse.
Canva
I started using Canva this month to make promotional images for my projects. I had opened it before but never properly sat down with it. For this kind of content image it is genuinely fast; a few minutes from nothing to something that looks finished enough to post. I also started using it to quickly sketch out visual ideas, not finished designs but something concrete enough to react to. It is much faster than Figma for that kind of rough, throwaway thinking.
Raindrop.io
I had been saving interesting websites to a browser bookmarks folder that had become useless over time. No tags, no organisation, things from years ago with no context for why I saved them. Raindrop.io replaced it. I use it now to keep track of design inspiration, blogs I want to come back to, and anything else I do not want to lose in a tab somewhere.
SVG Repo
A library of SVG icons and vectors you can search, copy, and download for free. SVG Repo has become my first stop whenever I need an icon. The selection is large enough that I usually find what I am looking for without having to go anywhere else.
Books
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. A sci-fi novel about an astronaut who wakes up alone on a spacecraft with no memory of how he got there. The science is detailed without being difficult to follow, and the story moves quickly. I had been in a reading slump for a while and this was the book that got me out of it.
Blog posts
Please Stop Using Barrel Files by TkDodo. An argument against barrel files (index.ts files that re-export other modules) in application code, mainly around circular import issues and slower dev server startup. I had been using them without thinking much, so this was a useful read.
Body Blocks stacking toy helps children explore the many shapes a human can take on Dezeen. Davina Atallah, a Beirut-based designer, adapted the stacking block toy so children can mix and match parts to make figures of different body types, including some referencing wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs.
Design director Paul O'Brien on when imposter syndrome just means you're in the wrong job on Creative Boom. An interview about imposter syndrome, career decisions, and what it actually means when you feel like you do not belong somewhere.
Yoli wants you to stop, look and fall in love with the world around you on Creative Boom. A South Korean artist based on Jeju Island who paints nature observations. The work is quiet and detailed, and the article is a nice read.
Is cringe culture killing your creative career? on Creative Boom. On the fear of self-promotion and how it stops creatives from sharing their work. Worth reading if you have ever talked yourself out of posting something.