Last updated on January 14, 2018

Tools

The tools that I use, love, and recommend.

My guides, code snippets, and more are free and open to everyone thanks to the generous support of my Go Make Things members.

ADHD

Apple Watch. See your calendar on your wrist, set timers, and add items to your todo list. Yes, your phone can do all this already. A smart watch is even better.
Obsidian. A markdown based digital notebook for keeping track of all-the-things.
Microsoft Todo. If you prefer a more traditional todo list, MS Todo is free and has just enough features, but not too many.
Toggl. Track your time so you don’t have to guess. Reminds you if you start working without a timer, or stop working and forget to stop it.

Design System & UI

Kelp. A UI library for people who love HTML, powered by modern CSS and Web Components.
Modern Font Stacks. System font stack CSS organized by typeface classification for every modern OS.
CSS Grid Generator. Easily create CSS Grid layouts.
CSS Gradient Generator. A GUI tool for creating CSS gradient effects.
Box Shadow Generator. A GUI tool for creating box shadow effects.
Loading.io. A collection of CSS-only loading animations.
CSS Specificity Calculator. Calculate the specificity of different CSS selectors.

DOM Manipulation

Static Site Generators (SSGs)

Hugo. Uses GoLang, compiles fast, and can generate files besides HTML. The community around it is relatively small, and the maintainer is a jerk.
Page CMS. A no-hassle web app. It integrates directly with GitHub, and requires very little configuration. I think this is current best option available.

Images

ImageOptim. Optimize image files. They have a native macOS app and web-based GUI tools.
SVGOMG. A web-based SVGO app for optimizing SVG files.
SVG to CSS Converter. Convert SVG files to CSS background images.

Features & Accessibility

Can I Use. Quickly look up browser support for various web platform features.
Accessibility Support. Like “Can I Use” for screen readers and assistive technology.
Color Contrast Checker. A way to test that your colors have proper contrast and meet accessibility guidelines.
Color Oracle. A cross-platform color blindness simulator.
The A11Y Project. A collection of accessibility resources, including a handy checklist.

Tooling

Terminal

Homebrew. Install and manage packages.
Oh My Zsh. A CLI framework for macOS and Linux.
git-open. A small tool from the amazing Paul Irish that opens the web page for the Git repository that you’re currently.
autojump. Navigate the filesystem without having to know the specific path.

Ebooks

Pandoc. Converts markdown into other formats (like HTML and EPUB).
wkhtmltopdf. Converts HTML to a formatted PDF.
Calibre. Converts EPUB to MOBI (kindle format).
Ebook Boilerplate. A command-line tool that combined Pandoc, wkhtmltopdf, and Calibre into a single workflow.

Video Courses & Podcasts

Screenflow. Screen, video, and audio recording and editing software for macOS.
Camtasia. Screen, video, and audio recording and editing software for Windows.
Vimeo. Video hosting for course creators (can be restricted by domain).
DigitalOcean Spaces. Affordable volume storage for MP3 files.
Rev. Human-powered captioning services.
FFmpeg. Converts audio and video from one format to another.

Design & Graphics

Hardware

Blue Yeti Microphone. A quality starter microphone with great audio quality, but picks up a lot of background noise.
Shure MV7. More expensive than the Yeti, but does a much better job isolating background noise. The mic I use.
RØDE Boom Arm. Keeps the mic off your desk so you can type. It also absorbs vibrations, for better sound quality.

Syndication

PERWIN Hori Hori Knife. It’s a trowel, knife, saw, ruler, and weeder… all-in-one tool!
REXBETI Folding Saw. Cuts through branches quickly and with ease.
EGO Electric Lawn Mower. Quiet. No maintenance. Great battery life. Mulches clippings back into the lawn.
Makita Trimmer. Light and powerful. I got this one because I have other Makita tools.
Greenworks Dethatcher. Does a great job, but corded, so you need a ridiculously long extension cord.
Kobalt Wheelbarrow. A two-wheeled wheelbarrow is a game changer! Easy to move with one hand, and no more tipping.

The Buy Nothing Project. Give away what you no longer need, and ask for what you want. An alternative economy outside of capitalism.
Food Not Bombs. Feed people, reduce food waste, and care for your local community.
Little Free Library. Inspire readers and promote book access.
Little Free Pantry. Take what you need. Give what you can.
Homeless Care Kits. How to create care packages for your local unhoused community.

Games & Systems (that aren’t D&D)

Adventure. My own rules-lite system.
Wanderhome. A game about exploration and finding your place in the world. Wander, tell stories, and get a little lost.
Dungeon World. The same vibe as D&D, but more natural to play and with fewer rules to remember.
Hero Kids. A nice introductory system for young people.

Worlds & Locations

Neverland. Peter Pan’s Neverland as an RPG setting. Using it as-is, or reskin things for the tone of your game.
Necrotic Gnome. The makers of Old-School Essentials (a retro D&D clone) publish a bunch of adventures. While designed for their own game, the settings are perfect worlds to explore using any rules-light system.
Wanderhome Generator. A location and NPC generator for playing Wanderhome.
Your Favorite Book, Show, or Movie. Literally any piece of media can be used as inspiration or a setting.

Tools for Playing

Disney World Crowd Calendar. A predictive look at how busy each park at Disney World is expected to be each day of the year.