So first off, heads up: Some of the links below are affiliate links. Sorry not sorry. 🤷♂️
Hardware
Macbook Pro 16″ – I’m a total Mac fanboy. But I’m very happy having this 16″ after working on both a 13″ Macbook and retina iMac previously. Best of both the productivity and portability worlds. (Also, space grey! ✨)
At home, my MacBook sits on a Rain Design mStand, which I’ve had for 3 computers now, and I still love it.
I currently have a 10 yo external Dell monitor that I’ll replace, eventually… This is the monitor I’m dreaming of. (But I’m making myself achieve some performance goals before I buy it!) 🤣
I ended up buying this 32″ 4K LG monitor on a recommendation/tweet from Wes Bos.
I got this Keychron K2 mechanical keyboard to see if I prefer the retro feel/feedback while working. Plus it just looks cool.
Software
Sublime Text – I like Sublime a lot. I know the cool kids are all on VS Code now, but I couldn’t switch for one reason… I didn’t find a replacement for my favorite Sublime shortcut/command: CMD-D to select “next-same-thing”. (Am I missing something here???)
I’m now fully aboard the VS Code train. Change is hard! But I adjusted after a couple months.
Coda – FTP program with code editor built in. From the dark days of editing live sites on the fly! I know, I know. But I still love it for dropping in a robot.txt file or editing the wp-config file. 🤷♂️
Local – For local WordPress development. I have exactly 2 sites on Local by Flywheel (as of the writing of this post) but don’t think I’m going back to MAMP (after years of using it). I’m a sucker 🍭 for that super nice Flywheel UI.
Hyper – Terminal for Mac, but nicer.
Tower – A Git app for Mac. I seem to init stuff on the command line, but manage repos long-term in Tower. Plus, pretty. I’m actually rocking the command line for 90% of all Git stuff now? 😱#learningiscool #git
Spark – Got over the look of Mac’s Mail.app. Spark is nicer-looking, and works well-enough.
Dropbox – I have every-client-file-ever backed up on a Dropbox Pro account.
Backblaze – In addition to my local Time Machine backup(s), I started using Backblaze to backup my whole machine to the cloud. For a worst-worst scenario.
Tech
WordPress – I ❤️ WordPress. I’ve been developing with WordPress for 10+ years and using it even longer and haven’t found an easier product to 1.) customize, and/then 2.) hand off to my clients.
WordPress Themes
- _s – “Underscores” blank/un-styled WordPress theme. For going fully-custom.
- JointsWP (based on the Foundation CSS boilerplate). When a site needs “all the things”.
- Beaver Builder – Drag & Drop WordPressing. I like to use this tool when I need to move fast & loose. Like a one-pager that needed to be up yesterday.
Must Use Plugins
- Advanced Custom Fields – Makes WordPress a true CMS.
- Migrate DB Pro – Pushes/pulls content & images from live->dev.
- Autoptimize – Squishes your HTML, CSS and JS.
- Yoast SEO – Adds that meta magic.
- The Events Calendar – What it sounds like.
- WooCommerce – WordPress E-commerce solution.
Web Hosting, Domains and Business Services.
I’ve hosted this site and my client sites on MediaTemple forever. Their Grid service is great for hosting a medium-size project or handful of small sites.
I’m now recommending WPEngine or Flyhweel to my clients, after feeling (MT) was falling behind, in terms of service, features/functionality and performance.
For a single/smaller projects I also recommend SiteGround, and have had a great experience with them as well.
I use Hover.com to buy/manage all of my domains. Their support is great, and they don’t “play games” at checkout with tricky up-sells or add-ons you (probably) don’t need.
On the business side of things, I switched from Paychex to Gusto for running payroll, and it’s amazing. Gusto’s web app is modern, beautiful, and easy to use, and makes me dread doing end-of-month stuff just a little less. 😉
Books
A Book Apart – Series
The whole A Book Apart series is excellent. Books by people at the forefront of our industry writing on the issues that matter. Book 7 in the series – Design is a Job, by Mike Monteiro – is one of my all-time favorite books, and not just in the “about websites” category. 💯
Digging into WordPress – Chris Coyier & Jeff Starr
This was my intro to WordPress development 10+ years ago. I dig it.
Execute – Drew Wilson and Scott Long
A perspective changing read for me. Introduction to the MVP (minimum viable product) approach to building things.
HTML & CSS – Jon Ducket
A beautiful & thorough book about the basics building for the web. I got this after I knew HTML & CSS pretty well, but definitely wished I’d had it sooner. And I still page through it from time to time.
Podcasts
- Web-related: Shoptalk Show, Syntax, Tools Day, PageBreak, Script & Style
- Other: Hurry Slowly (work/life), Above & Beyond (trance music), This American Life (and others from MPR), FilmSpotting (film critique)
Websites
- Inspiration: SiteInspire, Pages.xyz, lapa.ninja, awwwards
- Reference: CSS-Tricks, Go Make Things, Grid By Example, A List Apart, Smashing Magazine
- Stuff I used/referenced specifically for this site: Primitive, Lynn Fischer