Tech Tip — December — Experimenting with New Applications

Instead of talking about any specific application this month, I thought I would talk about how exploring new applications and ideas, in general, can help with productivity as well as exposing you to new concepts and ways of thinking. The developers of software applications and the apps we use on our phones are always looking for a new approach to things that have been done before. Just search for a calendar app in the App stores (Apple or Google) and the number of options is countless. One might ask, ‘how many ways can you look at your calendar?’ It turns out — A LOT.

The beauty of this is there likely is something for everyone. Even if you have a good routine for your calendar (for this example), looking at how other people imagine what it could be can be a great way to get a fresh perspective on something you have been doing for a long time.

Each year when iOS updates, I tend to look at what is new or different in the app space. You have seen many of the applications I use regularly. For example, earlier this year I worked with a different task management app — I moved away from OmniFocus (sort of) and tried using the Apple Reminders app for more of my everyday items. I actually really liked it — for many reasons. I have since returned to OmniFocus as my primary task manager, but that time spent with Reminders helped me think about using my devices and ideas for how I might do things differently. I still really like the look and feel of that app, even more than OmniFocus, but it doesn’t quite have all the support tools I want for managing tasks in different ways. As they provide future updates, I will likely give it another try in earnest.

Last month I wrote about the new widget features in iOS. Those have changed how I look at information and navigate my phone. My phone home screens had essentially looked the same for at least the last three to four years. This has been a significant change. I think there is still a lot to explore with this new feature and the functionality it brings. It has been fun trying different combinations of apps and views. Just the act of trying new things can get my brain working to consider how I might approach completely unrelated things in a fresh way.

Setting aside some time to try new applications or even to explore the options to get ideas can be a productive use of time, even if it doesn’t seem like it in the moment. If you need a place to start, I would recommend that Apple users go to the App Store and use the ‘Today’ view. In this section, they have articles, featured reviews and collections of different apps for different occasions. This is a great way to be exposed to apps you may not be familiar with.

I have always liked the idea of getting fresh ideas on the same subjects I deal with all the time. Doing it for the way I work and the tools I use is a natural extension of that. Even when I think I have it figured out exactly right, I usually discover, when I explore, that there are still new or additional options that could be factored in to make improvements. That doesn’t they have to or ever should be implemented, but I feel as though knowing there are options is as important as having a well-defined routine to begin with.

If you are intrigued by the idea but not sure where to start — I would begin with the things you take most for granted. This could be your mail application, your calendar app, or your task manager. Those are all very common items we use every day, and don’t think about what else could be possible in any of those. If you read a lot or follow different news items — you may try different sources for different reading applications. There is more than one way to get Twitter on your phone - in fact, a quick search finds at least five different apps that essentially do the same things as the native Twitter app. If you are a user of Reddit - there are dozens of apps for that as well. The point here - there are probably more options than you thought were possible. Each with a slightly different take on showing the same information to you. And I think that is a great way to expand horizons and present possibilities.

Trying new things is a good idea for many reasons in many ways. Challenge your routines and thought processes. Invest time to learn something new, even if it doesn’t work out. See what opportunities exist even where you thought nothing new was possible.

What will you try new for yourself?

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