An Optimized Development Workflow
I’ve been working on the Macbook Air for about a week now and I must say, besides a few speed issues (which I’m pretty sure is due to a faulty Time Capsule), I’m really loving the swap. I’ve got an external monitor set up as the main monitor and I use the 13″ Air monitor as my secondary.
I’m constantly changing the way I work and trying to make my workflow as smooth and quick as possible. I’m always interested in how others work, so I thought I’d share what works for me. Feel free to share yours in the comments!
I make use of OSX’s spaces feature, so I have three different “desktops”. One for development, one for surfing/email and one for client/task management.
Desktop 1
My space for development work, I like to keep Coda open on the main window, and Photoshop open on the secondary menu so I can what I’m coding. I also like to keep the entire week’s worth of PSDs that need coding open at once, so I can see how much longer I have to go.
Desktop 2
Used for the browser and email, it allows me to check sites quickly, while clicking on links in the email and RSS without swapping desktops. I now prefer to use Chrome for all browsing and development. The built-in web tools are fantastic, and a lot faster loading than Firefox. When in testing mode, I’ll also have VMWare Fusion open here.
Desktop 3
Used for all the boring business stuff. I’ve got iCal open on the right for my client and personal schedules. I also keep Wunderlist open behind it for personal to-do items. On the right, I keep Billings open to track time, estimates and invoices.
What about you guys? Have you found something that works quickly for you?
About the author
Amber Weinberg specializes in clean and semantic HTML5, CSS3, responsive and WordPress development. She has over 15 years of coding experience and is super cool to work with.
Amber is available for freelance work, so why not hire her for your next project?