Illustration by Ishita Dharap.
Soon was established as a passion project between its two Stockholm-based co-founders to patch the loss inherent to the Notes app. If you’re anything like me then you’re constantly being caught in scenarios where your friends recommend the latest Netflix craze, you quickly swipe open the Notes app to jot it down, and promptly forget it as it gets lost amongst the millions of other things you mean to do. However, I’ve finally found my solution with Soon — the app where I can now share with friends the movies, places, restaurants, and everything else I plan to do in 2019.
As time goes by, the competition for the most aesthetic theme only gets tougher, but recent University of Southern California graduate Dillon Morgan has created the app to give you that leg up you’ve been looking for. Morgan previously developed several different social media apps throughout his time in college, but the idea for UNUM came from his younger social media star sister. It allows you to craft layouts, create your grid, draft posts, tailor your feed, and then sit back and watch as it all falls into place. I’ve found this app brings me a great sense of accomplishment when it comes to layouts, especially since Instagram plays into that overwhelming need for perfection.
Bettr – Scheduling for Instagram
As artists, we all know how important utilizing social media for our work can be, but doing it right isn’t always as simple as snapping a quick pic and posting. Fortunately there are apps for that. Over the last several months I’ve found it increasingly helpful to pre-plan not only the arrangement of my posts but also prepare and schedule them to post at the highest engagement time, something made possible with Bettr. This app allows you to set-up your entire post and schedule it to for when there will be the most opportunity for activity. After a trial month, the recommended time for me was typically around 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. which seemed to be incredibly successful, likely because that’s a common break time when people check their phones, but it can differ for each person and their audience. Who knows? Maybe your followers are all nocturnal creatures most active in the late hours of the night!
What, Wear, & When – Digital Closet & Calendar
We’ve all seen the ‘90s classic “Clueless” and ogled Cher’s high-tech closet. If only there was a way to visualize all those thrifted finds and favorite pieces that get pushed to the back of our slim dorm closets for optimal wardrobe. What, Wear, & When makes it possible to document your closet, plan outfits, and even put them into your calendar. It’s saved me countless times racking my brain for the perfect out for a specific event. In an attempt to be more sustainable, we could all use a tool to help us revamp our closets.
Forgotten tops, repeated outfits, or overlooked shoes? As if!
We’re all paying an arm and a leg to go to school so we definitely can’t afford to pay full price for everything else. If anything we all deserve a little discount for our hard work. Most major brands have their own student discount options, but creating a UNiDAYS account with your student email gives you one platform with all the deals in one place so you can finally take advantage of them. The possibilities are endless with large name brands such as Apple, Adidas, Puma, Lyft, Grubhub, and countless others.
Honey – Smart Shopping Assistant
Another application I’ve found to be a lifesaver over the last year is Honey. You can install the add-on to the internet browser of your choice and when you go to sites for shopping, Honey will automatically find all the best discounts and deals for your purchase. It’ll even update you on sales to items you left in your wish-list. Now you can also get a reassuring deal with your purchase to justify that Kanken we all just had to have.
If you’re anything like me, remembering even the most basic human necessities can be a struggle. Sometimes staying hydrated is hard! Recently though, I’ve found the Plant Nanny app to not only help remind me but to also motivate me. It’s amusing to name, water, and watch the little plants grow. Plant Nanny was first released in 2013, but since then a second version has been released. I still find the original to be the better app — like any sequel, the second just can’t quite compare. Don’t let bad habits die hard, stay hydrated!
