Recently, two apps were recommended to me; one I was already using and the other I wasn’t interested in. But that got me curious about which of the numerous apps I have downloaded do I really use? And that made me curious about the apps my co-workers use to make their lives easier both personally and professionally. Despite all that curiosity, the cat lived, and a list of GPI staff-recommended apps was born.
And here we go, GPI’s top 14 apps to maybe, possibly, improve your life a slight bit:
1. Slack This is used across the board in our office because well, we have to, it was an edict from above. Nonetheless, it’s very useful and allows for easy communication between co-workers both at our desk and on the move using our mobile devices. The use of channels (i.e., conversation topics) allows a well-organized conversation board. The only downside I can see is human-caused, without the discipline to always use Slack, one can (and does) find oneself looking through emails and text messages as well as Slack for that one piece of info you know you were given BUT WHERE IS IT?!
2. Grammarly Many of us use this app, it’s like spellcheck plus. Grammarly advertises its app as “Great Writing, Simplified. Compose bold, clear, mistake-free writing with Grammarly’s AI-powered writing assistant.â€Â Like a lot of apps, Grammarly has a paid version which I’ve never tried but Grammarly certainly lets you know your writing contains advanced mistakes and if you pay them, they’ll tell you what they are!
3. Canva This is a graphic artist wanna-be’s dream app! A couple of us, including me, use this easy-to-use tool to create pitch decks, posters, flyers, sell sheets, social media posts, cartoons, graphics, and new-to-the-site memes. I mean really, who doesn’t want to create their own ready-to-go viral meme?! If I had four thumbs, I‘d put them all up on this one, I even kicked in for the paid version for this app.
4. Trello This app got the nod from several GPI staff members who use it to manage projects, keep a project’s team on the same timeline, and overall keep themselves organized.
5. Google Workspace – Many of us use a variety of the Google Workspace tools, the most obvious is our use of Gmail, Gdrive, and Calendar. Others use Google Meet, and within Gmail, they use Tasks and Keep. For those not clinging to Microsoft Office Suite like a novice jumper to their parachute instructor, Google’s Docs, Sheets, and Slides are terrific tools especially for content that has multiple contributors.
6. Evernote Our esteemed leader gives his nod to this notetaking app which syncs with Gmail, Gdrive, and Slack.
7. RoboForm Everyone should have a password manager, Roboform allows you to save your passwords, autofill them on sites, and in the paid version allows you to sync your passwords on all your devices as well as providing two-factor authentication.
8. MyFitnessPal Allows one of our very fit staffers to keep track of their health goals including keeping track of workout progress for those killer arms, keeping a food diary, providing recipes and meal ideas. MyFitnessPal syncs with many other apps on both Apple and Android devices.
9. Babbel One studious staffer is using this app to attempt to learn French, so if you receive an email from one of us reading, “bonjour, votre devis est prêt†you’ll know which staffer I am referring to. MDR
10. Calm  A hippy wannabe is how one staffer’s child describes them because of this “kumbaya†app, liked for its workflow music and Master Classes on topics such as focus, 4 Pillars of a Health, and Stoic Wisdom. The app also has a wide selection of nighttime white noise and even bedtime stories.
11. PlantSnap Our resident green thumb uses this app to determine the species of unknown plants (and here we thought they knew all things plants, now we know their secret tool!).
12. Scribd This book app is a must-have for one of our two long commuters. Audiobooks are a great way to pass the time while behind the wheel and makes this staffer appear well-read – – but really, aren’t they well-listened if there was no actual reading involved?!
13. News Break This app is useful if you need to keep up with local and breaking news, like Gonzaga’s heartbreaking loss to Baylor, News Break was there to gently deliver the news.
14. Spotify And finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t include Spotify, used by multiple staff members to download various podcasts and all types of music including one recommendation for Lo-Fi music which provides great background sound for both home and work.