Design Writing
This selection is curated
by Salu Ylirisku
(personal tools of choice are marked with *)
Writing software
Microsoft word *
This is the workhorse
Scrivener
This is a writer’s studio
LibreOffice
Free, opensource alternative
Pages
Apple’s version of text editor
Ulysses
Clean writer
iA Writer
Similar to Ulysses
Manuscripts
Designed for research writing
Web tools
Google scholar *
The most powerful interconnected seach database with lots
Google docs
Powerful set of editors by Google (for sharing with NSA)
Reference managers
Zotero *
Free, open-source alternative.
Mendeley
Free alternative
Papers
Non-free alternative
EndNote
Widely used
Bookends
another one..
Note-taking tools
Evernote *
This is an all-round note-taking cross-platform solutions
OneNote
Microsoft’s response to EverNote
Mind-mapping tools
MindNode *
Make visual mind maps quickly
iOS tools (iPad, iPhone)
LiquidText *
Text ‘resourcing’ app
NotesPlus *
For thos liking to use Apple Pencil
iAnnotate *
PDF annotation tool. Works with Apple Pencil
ScannerPro *
Scan your handwritten notes and other texts
Technology Agents
DevonThink
This scrapes the web and builds a local database of refences
ProWritingAid
A powerful feedback tool to improve your texts
Getting access to databases
Summon (SDU internal, requires university account)
This is SDU Library’s access channel to selected databases
WorldCat
Find what’s in libraries nearby
Other utilities
SelfControl
If you want to avoid distractions
Examples on how to use these tools
Writing with Word and Zotero
Below is a video of my screen during the explanation to the practice to my colleagues at SDU Design. It demonstrates how to start from a conference template with Zotero (+some small ramblings). The scenario is to write a paper for the ACM CHI conference. How do I go...