Great software isn’t always expensive, sometimes it’s free.
With all of the software you already own, the idea of investing in more might make both you and your computer cringe. But there are lots of sources that are free to use online, and you won’t have to download anything.
Arch Daily has compiled a list of some of the most useful websites for architects, some of which are so clever you’ll wonder why someone didn’t think of it before. Chances are you’ll find something here that you didn’t know you needed, but are sure glad that you found.
Adobe Color CC Designs and Creates Color Themes
Adobe software usually doesn’t come cheap, but they offer one useful tool free to anyone. Adobe Color CC is an interactive color wheel that lets you create and save color themes, search through themes created by other users, and get inspiration by randomly generating new ones.
Another feature that makes this really useful is that the themes aren’t static. You can always edit your own, but if you see another one that’s almost right, you can open and edit it, then save your tweaks as a whole new theme.
Create a tutorial or share your work in a matter of minutes.
Screenr Lets You Share Work With Anyone
Have you ever wanted to share what’s happening on your computer screen with others, or watched a remote demonstration and wondered how they did it? Screenr is a free service that lets you record, add narration, save, and then share this information with others.
This tool allows you to work through a process on your computer, add important audio to narrate it, and then share a link to the recording with anyone you choose. This is a perfect tool for creating an audio/visual tutorial.
WriteWords Makes Your Writing Better
If you’re don’t have a natural affinity for writing, any project where you have to draft a proposal or another document might make you a bit nervous. WriteWords helps make your writing more concise, by pointing out any that you overuse.
You might be surprised to learn how often certain words make it into your text. Spotting duplicates lets you select a different word to keep your prose from being too repetitive.
Sometimes the difference between a good presentation and a great one is one terrific image.
CreativeCommons Helps You Find Free Images
This website isn’t exactly a secret, but you might not be using it to its fullest potential. When creating a presentation, visual aids always help. With CreativeCommons, you can find images that you can use for free.
Not only that, but CreativeCommons lets you search through several sources at once. You’ll see what’s available through Wikimedia Commons, Flickr, Google Images, and several others using the licensing parameters that you set.
Incompetech Has Printable Graph Paper
When was the last time you bought graph paper? Maybe it’s been a while, or maybe you just don’t need another stack of papers to store. Either way, you can print graph paper as you need it through Incompetech.
You’ll find everything from the classic grid to hexagonal, triangle, and circle shapes. There’s a lot more, too. If you aren’t in the market for graph paper, Incompetech also has ruled paper, calendars, storyboards, and even graphs.
An architect’s days are often spent at a computer, so anything that makes the work easier is worth it. Maybe you need a little help writing, or color theory isn’t your strong suit. Or maybe you just need to sort out when to go to bed at night. There’s a website for that, too.
PDH Academy is another website where you’ll find something that you really need – professional development hours. Check out our courses, and see how we can make your life easier, too.
