Top 10 Best Smartwatch Apps for Designers
Without a doubt, being a designer requires a hell of creativity.
While the job might differ on the surface, e.g., creating layouts, working on branding, and designing websites or social media pages, some core qualities are shared among folks working in the field. An excellent eye for detail, patience, and confidence, to name a few.
However, it's quite a common perception that people with higher levels of creativity (designers) aren't as excellent in work organisation.
In today's fast-paced world, meeting deadlines is an even more significant challenge due to the number of distractions we have to fight daily.
Of course, everybody has their unique way of tackling this problem. And while some develop effective tactics to keep them on track, others are still trying to find out what works best for them.
But if technology can work against us, why not make it our ally?
Smartwatches are super powerful yet inconspicuous devices that can keep you more organised and efficient in your design work.
Today's blog post will discuss the best smartwatch apps to help you get around your everyday challenges as a designer.
With that said, let's explain why smartwatches are good at helping you stay organised in the first place.
Why Is a Smartwatch a Good Idea for Designers?
And for those who still aren't sold on having a gadget by their wrist, here are three reasons to try it out.
1) Stay updated with what is going on
No matter how organised and disciplined you are as a creative professional, sooner or later, you will have to deal with a heap load of information coming your way.
With the best smartwatch apps, you can keep this info in check by being notified of the most relevant updates that might be missed otherwise (for example, an important meeting reminder while you're busy on another project).
While some of these notifications can seem like spam to some people (and they're not wrong!), they can be beneficial for staying on track with your schedule.
2) Have the info you need at your fingertips
The whole idea of having a wearable electronic gadget is to make our lives better and more manageable. This principle works perfectly well when it comes to smartwatches, too.
When you have the information you need, you can focus on the work instead of wasting time trying to find things out.
Not only that, but it's important not to have this info in front of your eyes when it comes to design and when working with other people in general.
For example, it's rather unprofessional if you are meeting with somebody, but you need to keep checking your smartphone to find an important email sent by this person. But having the data readily available on your wrist is a more professional solution and saves time!
3) Build better relationships
Having all the necessary information while working helps you save time and focus on essential tasks. It also empowers you to be more efficient when communicating with others (again, like in the example of meeting someone).
Having access to more information is quite empowering. And feeling more empowered is an excellent way to build better relationships.
So, if you can invest in a smartwatch for yourself or somebody you love, grab it.
Not only will you be happier and more productive because of this nifty gadget, but your relationships with others can also benefit.
Top 10 Best Smartwatch Apps for Designers
Believe it or not, apps don't have to be distractors – they can work for you instead!
While social media platforms are likely to consume a massive chunk of your time during the day, other smartwatch applications can do the opposite.
Here are some of the best smartwatch apps that can help you stay better organised and on track with your work:
1) Stay Focused!
This app is a great way to determine how much time you waste checking notifications during the day.
By giving you information about the number of useless alerts that came through your smartwatch, the app aims to help you stay focused on what's important.
The application is available for all smartwatches, whether on the Wear OS (Android smartwatches) or iOS (iPhones. What's more, it's 100% free!
2) Todoist!
Make your to-do lists easily accessible with this nifty little application.
Tell Todoist which task you need to take care of, and it will appear right on your watch for easy task management later.
Todoist is 100% free to use, although it also has some premium features to easily purchase the Pro or Business plan.
It's available for both Android and iOS smartwatches.
3) OmniFocus
This is our favourite app, as it can help you stay on top of tasks for different projects.
It's great that your to-do lists are readily accessible on your wrist, but what if you need to keep track of ongoing tasks across various projects? Doing this with just one smartwatch app can be challenging, but OmniFocus can help.
Unfortunately, it's only available with Apple Watches.
It's also a paid app, with a monthly subscription plan starting at $9,99.
4) Spotify
I don't know about you, but I work much better if I cancel out the outside noise and put on my favourite tracks instead.
Some people like listening to audiobooks instead of learning and working simultaneously. Whatever floats your boat!
Naturally, the Spotify app is available for all the popular smartwatch models, whether Android or iOS-based and allows you to control the tracks without pulling the phone out every time a poor song comes along.
Although you can have the best experience with the ad-free version, it's free for download and requires a monthly subscription plan.
5) Move Reminder
Being productive is all good, but that shouldn't come at the cost of neglecting your well-being.
You're probably aware that sitting kills you, and apps like this one want to assist you in living longer. It's as easy as getting up! It's also ideal for people who suffer from repetitive strain injury (RSI) or who need to take frequent breaks.
Move Reminder encourages you to live a healthy lifestyle by detecting when you have been sedentary for too long and reminding you to move. It may be customised and used as a simple pedometer.
Move Reminder utilises Google Fit to track your steps and does not require the app to be open to work.
This free app is available exclusively with Wear OS (Android) smartwatches.
If you're an Apple Watch user, don't worry – a proportionately capable equivalent is available for you.
6) Stand Up!
And here it is.
The name alone should be a good enough motivator to get you moving!
The full name of the app is Stand Up! The Work Break Timer is available exclusively in the Apple App Store. You can download it free of cost if you currently own an Apple Watch.
The software does not micromanage you; you are not made to feel bad. It doesn't force you to track and manage your time or tell you what exercises to complete.
Just basic reminders to get up regularly, with quick confirmations so you can see how you're doing.
7) Water Reminder
Water is necessary for survival, and drinking enough and the proper amount is critical for our health.
The Water Reminder app will assist you in calculating how much water your body requires, track your hydration, and gently remind you to drink water to meet your goal.
Water Reminder uses HealthKit to record drinking statistics in the Nutrition part of the Health app. Water, Caffeine, Protein, Dietary Energy, Fat, Carbs, and Sugars are among the data categories requested by the app.
When you add a drink to the app, it instantly transmits the nutritional information for that drink to the Health app: Caffeine, water, protein, calories, fat, carbohydrates, and sugars are all present.
The Water Reminder app is available solely for Apple Watch users. However, worry not; those with Android-based smartwatches can use a similar Water Drink Reminder application.
Stay hydrated, folks!
8) Pomodoro
Any designer who is prominent in productivity must have heard about the excellent Pomodoro method.
In short, working with Pomodoro means that you work in 25-minute intervals. During this time (measured by the countdown on the screen of your smartwatch), you do nothing but work on just one particular task, e.g. designing a header for a client's social media channel.
After 25 minutes, you get a 5-minute break to do whatever you wish. It's a work-reward tactic that has worked wonders for our dopamine system.
When the 5-minute break ends, the smartwatch notifies you that it's time to get productive again.
The Pomodoro app is available for both Android and iOS wearables.
9) Evernote
Evernote probably doesn't have to be explained to you, as the cloud-based note-taking program has been there for what seems like an eternity on the Internet.
It's one of the best smartwatch apps for note-taking. Although it's mainly used on computers and smartphones, the integration of smartwatches has sparked many people to use it from their wrists.
Evernote for smartwatches allows you to take notes of any length by text or audio (for smartwatches with a built-in microphone).
Additional functions of the app include setting reminders and viewing checklists or scanned business cards.
10) Glide
Last but not least, it's impossible not to mention Glide when discussing the best smartwatch apps for designers.
Glide's wristwatch video chat software is still a work in progress, but it's already getting traction. It's been tried on an Android wristwatch with a front-facing camera, microphone, speaker, and 3G WiFi connection.
Users with this software installed on their watch may view and record incoming video messages in real-time.
You may turn your wristwatch into a video walkie-talkie with the help of this program. You'll get access to your entire chat history as well as auto-playback. Glide plans to continue developing its iOS and Android apps and solutions for Android Wear and Apple Watch.
This may be a precious tool for video calls with your clients.
Conclusion
As proved in today's blog post, smartwatches are a new category of devices that, if used correctly, have the potential to increase our productivity.
As designers, we must be aware of these new technologies and their implications on our work. We should not see them as distractions but as tools that can help us finish more quickly.
But that's just what we think.
And what is your opinion on the matter? Are smartwatches a valuable tool for increasing productivity or just another distraction? What are your thoughts on the best smartwatch apps reviewed in the article? Use the comment section below to fire in your thoughts. Let's interact!
