design kit // springpad

As part of my new editorial schedule, Friday will be dedicated to websites, apps, and tools that I consider will help most designers get the work done. The idea is to slowly build up a Design Kit filled with goodies :)

I want to start with my new favourite online app: Springpad, a tool to organise your info, bookmarks, pics and more. I like to think of it as the baby between Dad Evernote and Mom Pinterest: it has the methodic order of dad and the looks and social skills of mom ;) I consider it my own virtual sketchbook library. 

Info is organised in notebooks: you can create as many as you want and choose whether to keep them public or private (in Pinterest secret boards are limited to 6 per account, Springpad has no limit… good uh?). The notebooks are so pretty: you can even choose the type of cover and binding colour you want. 

I like that I can add as many things as I want and don't have to worry about a space limit like in Evernote, and I can really just save whatever I need in that moment.

Write a note, save a pic, bookmark a new website, or write your weekly to-do list. You can really do whatever you want with your Springpad notebooks ;)

Springpad also has a nice community (similar to that in Pinterest), but you don't get lost in the thousands of nice images and interesting pins like you do in Pinterest (which can sometimes, be overwhelming and chaotic), nor you get sucked in everyone else's activity. I still love Pinterest and I use it too, but more as an online gallery than as my go-to idea-saver.

you can explore the community and follow the notebooks you are interested in

One more thing I like is that you can add tags to your springs (Pinterest calls them pins, Evernote, clips, and Springpad, springs) so you can find them easily by simply choosing or searching a specific tag. I have almost 100 Pinterest boards with lots of good ideas and tutorials and recipes, but I'm never able to find what I want unless I go through the hundreds (maybe thousands) of pins I have… very time consuming and annoying. 

Finally, I like that you can embed your library or a certain notebook to your blog or website for others to have access to without having to register or go to Springpad. I've decided to use this option to embed my SPD contests + challenges notebook here, so that anyone can have access to the current deadlines and opportunities (you can check it out clicking the +spd deadlines+ button in the top menu). I'm glad to keep that info publicly available, so whenever you want to know about the latest contests, just stop by and take a look at it. Also, if you know of an opportunity I haven't added, just let me know about it with a comment and I'll make sure to spring it! 

I used to use Visualize.us, Delicious, and Evernote, but I finally feel I can do the same and more with just one app. Springpad is the set of sketchbooks I keep in handy whenever I need them to save ideas, inspiration, or any other info I might need later. I can access them from my computer, iPhone or iPad and have always available and organised my info and resources. That's why Springpad cannot miss in my Design Kit!

What about in yours? Let me know what you think :P