15 Things I can't Live without as a Designer!

Every Consultant, Designer, Freelancer has a slew of gadgets that he or she can't live without. I mean, we can but life would be a tad more difficult. Here are my list of stuff that have made life a little bit easier and more enjoyable on a day to day basis.

I tend to work in two ways. I spend half of my work hours in coffee shops. This keeps me mobile and stimulated. It also helps me meet new people and generate more business. I need a set of tools for being mobile. Then I spend the other half the time in my office/studio. And my home-base needs to be inspiring and fun also.

HARDWARE

1. My 17" Macbook Pro has been a wonderful mobile design computer. Powerful and quick, I couldn't ask for a better partner. I would love one of the new ones, but my 1 year old computer will do well by me for awhile. I tend to use them for about 3 years, sell them off for about half of what I bought them for and move to a new one. This baby still has over a year of life in it! more on www.apple.com >>

2. My trusty Wacom Tablets. I have 3 of these little guys. The first one is a 4x6 that goes everywhere with me. It comes out when the laptop comes out. I've not used a mouse since 1999, and I'm so glad I made the switch back then. The wacom tablet has saved my hand from CTS and kept my mind flowing with ideas as they transfer effortlessly to my hands and onto the screen. I also use a 6x9 at the office. It's always ready for me when I get in. This year I decided to move to the next level and got a 12" Cintique. Even though I use it only once in awhile, I'm glad I got it. I would use it more often, but I have to disconnect one of my monitors every time I do. It comes in handy when I'm doodling for ideas, concept development and illustrating my characters. Other than that It sits to the side of my work system.

more on www.wacom.com

3. The HP 1000 Netbook is awesome. It's new from HP and to the new family of Netbooks. I noticed that I needed a computer that wasn't as big as my 17", something I can pull out when I'm sitting on the couch, or on days that I'm just blogging and doing accounting stuff. The MacBook Air was out of the question, too expensive and still too big. So I researched the market and realized that Netbooks have finally come to a point where they are usable and functional. I really love this little thing. I tend to use it for about 1 hour to 3 hours max a day. Usually at night on the couch watching TV. But It's helped me get more productive, and I don't feel forced to design or work on client stuff at night- that usually happens if I decide to pull out my 17" MacBook at home.

more on www.hp.com

4. The iPhone. Need I say more? Well incase you don't know, I'll put in a few words on the iPhone. It's amazing. I rely on it way too much. Actually I had to buy an extended battery case that keeps it working for about 10 hours a day. I'm not big on the applications, but the web browser, email and phone are more than enough for me. more on www.apple.com

5. The Freedom Task Chair by Human Scale. This chair has been a back saver. I spent a bit more than I wanted to on a chair, but after seeing that I had thrown out four $200 chairs in the past 10 years, I decided to go for it. I don't regret it at all. It's comfortable and adjusts automatically to my body whenever I switch positions. I truly love this chair and would recommend it to anyone looking for a lifetime chair. more on www.humanscale.com

ONLINE SOFTWARE AND SITES

1. Sabet.tv - A community of hypertalented folks. Sabet.tv is a social network for artists with a personal touch. I tend to Sabet.tv daily and am humbled by the talent their. It's important because the creative folks on Sabet.tv inspire me and keep me alive. more on www.sabet.tv

2. Google.com - It's a wonderful recourse for finding images, content and research. It's also pretty obvious, but thought it's a good reminder of how much we rely on this giant of a site. more on www.google.com

3. Lessaccounting.com

I had been looking for a simple and effective accounting and invoicing program. After using QUickBooks Online for about a year and feeling completely jipped, I found LessAccounting. I feel it's invoicing and reporting is strong enough for any consultant or freelancer. I love the simplicity and clean UI.

4. Skitch.com

I truly love Skitch.com. For all you designer/mac users, you are not going to know how to deal with out skitch after you have used it once. You'll actually wonder how you have made it so far without it! Watch the video..

5. Hulu.com

Working at coffee shops, or alone in an office can get pretty boaring. The lack of meaningful conversations during breaktime can really effect your mood, where it does mine. So I deal with it by watching hours and hours of Hulu.com - no i'm not addicted..well maybe just a little. Check out this amazing Saturday Night Digital Short!!

6. iStockphoto.com

I tend to use this site just as many others do - when you are being lazy and just don't want to draw that little icon, where do you go? Ofcourse.. istockphoto.com. The cheap stock imagery is awesome too. What would we do without our little istockphoto?

7. basecamphq.com

8. facebook.com

Facebook is not only my favirote time waster, it's also becoming my choice marketing channel. I'm making friends that tell their friends what I do and in turn they ask me to do stuff for them!! It's a wonderful little place.

9. vimeo.com

I really dig vimeo's fresh design, user interface and amazing video quality. It's really important these days to serve quality videos here and on Sabet.tv. Most video platform solutions are meant for the big boys and are too expensive, but vimeo has the quality and it's Free!

Ali Sabet Creates a Character + Book Cover in 30 Minutes from www.sabet.tv on Vimeo.

10. Freelanceswitch.com

Freelanceswitch is the only and greatest freelance blog that I read. The good folks over there know their stuff. Learn about client types to how to survive a down economy. It's always fresh and inspiring.