Welcome back for Part II! If you've missed the first post you can check out Part I here.
When it comes to effective designing at home there are many great options ranging from tech heavy tools to simple house-hold items. In today's second installment in the series I'll be introducing another set of tools that will help bring your designing to the next level.
Knowing Your Distance
During this pandemic it's been critical for us to maintain our distance from objects and people. Most of us don't have a very good eye when it comes to estimating distances so a measuring tape can become our best friend. Whether it's for measuring the distance between you and your friend or the seam allowance for the home sewn masks you're making, retractable tailor's measuring tape can tackle it all.
There are a wide variety of brands and styles you can find on Amazon that all range in quality, but this one is our team favorite. We've tried all kinds of brands at the Lexicon studio and this one has out performed them all in both function and durability. Unlike the cheap ones that break within a few months, this one is German made with a metal end cap that starts at 0.
Ever since I started working on soft-goods design work at Lexicon Design, I've carried around a few wherever I go. One at my studio desk, one in my messenger bag, and one at my home desk. I'll find myself grabbing it over traditional measuring tape because of how small, light, and flexible it is.
Communicating With Your Team
Every team uses a combination of tools for effective communication. But there's a reason Slack stands at the top of most teams' lists. Almost every team that I've been involved with uses Slack. It makes it very easy to have texting-like informal conversations within groups, easily share files, and discuss topics. What really brings Slack to the next level is adding integrations to your channels. Apps like Google Drive, Slack, and GitHub can all be integrated for a seamless workflow. What's even better is that all of these functionalities exist in it's FREE tier.
By a long shot, this is one of the most powerful free direct communication and collaboration tools that will extend your productivity across all your remote functions. With no monetary commitment upfront it's definitely worth trying out.
The Swiss Army Knife of Prototyping
Remember when the Swiss Army Knife was carried by every family and touted to be the best multi-tool that could tackle any fixing task? Now image that but on a powered rotary tool spinning at 32000 rpms. That's exactly what the Dremel Rotary Tool is all about. For how small, easy to use, and affordable this tool is, it packs quite the punch.
Take your handyman skills to the next level. This little handheld machine can do everything from cutting through metal, drilling through wood, polishing, and can pretty much grind down anything into any shape you can think of. Prototyping with wood, plastics, and metals can now be done in the comfort of your own home.
Keeping Yourself Accountable
Home is often a place were we go to relax and unwind after a productive day at work. Now that it's become a place of work for many of us, it can be more challenging to keep ourselves on track with all the small things that need to be done with work and around the house. Everyone has their own method (or lack thereof) of keeping track of their tasks and managing their to-dos, but the app that's helped me the most is Todoist.
What I love most about it is how they've designed it in such a way that it combines the best elements of calendars, lists, and task grouping. They make it very simple and clear when it comes to organizing complex tasks that are unrelated. For power users they also make it easy to sync up your information between all kinds of devices mobile and web alike.
Between measuring your productivity and measuring the distances between you and the next person, this quick list from me and the Lexicon Design team should have you covered. Best of luck and stay safe!