Lumia@work: Why web designers love Lumia best
Lumias aren’t just the perfect devices for play, they’re great for work too. To show just how great, we’re launching a new series called Lumia@work.
Our aim is simple: To give you a unique insight into how people doing different jobs in different parts of the world use their Lumias to work better, easier and smarter. First up we have Mihai Andrei , a web designer based in the Romanian capital of Bucharest. Mihai’s philosophy in design is that if you have a crazy idea, try it, and if you truly believe in it, something wonderful will happen. After all, as comic strip creator Scott Adams once said, “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” We hooked up with Mihai to find out how his Lumia helps him fulfill this vision and to learn more about his working Lumia life.
1. So, Andrei, firstly can you tell us what you do on a day-to-day basis?
I’ve been working as a web designer for six years now, trying to visually create ideas for the customer’s needs. Designing user-friendly and attractive web pages, improving image presentations and other features on the websites, and creating corporate identities are just a few of my day-to-day actions. So I must constantly be in good creative shape!
2. Which Lumia do you own and what do you like best about it?
Currently I own a yellow Lumia 1020, which has a unique design and personality from my point of view. A true piece of innovation, or as I like to put it, intelligence made visible. I like it because it’s different; it has a great visual impact that suits me well. More importantly, I like it because you can rely on it in every situation. It’s perfect for a web designer’s needs! Details make the difference and that’s all that matters in the end.
3. In what ways has it changed your way of working?
My Lumia is the perfect personal/professional companion. It helps me keep track of my projects, remember my appointments and deadlines, and simply be more effective. Because it runs Windows Phone 8.1 Developer Preview, which merges with Microsoft’s latest desktop operating system, I have access to all my files anytime, anywhere. And there is my digital assistant Cortana. With her I’m confident that I won’t miss anything regarding my work.
4. What are your top tips for web designers working with Lumia?
-In addition to its reliability, Lumia comes with a bundle of apps that will help you as a designer. For instance, you can make a PowerPoint presentation and directly project it to a screen via WiFi or USB cable. You can quickly take notes with OneNote, and the Word Flow keyboard will help you to be insanely fast. After all, it is the fastest keyboard in the world, right? Don’t be afraid to take advantage of these functions because they were created for your needs.
-Sometimes a customer will write down ideas or draw sketches of how he or she envisions the website. Take a picture, and they will be instantly stored in the cloud.
-You can share your work evolution with your clients directly from your device, showing them different development stages. You can even show your customers how their website will look different on a mobile, as opposed to a desktop.
5. What are your favorite five working life apps and why?
Calendar
I use this app a lot. I have many appointments and things to remember, and this is my safe ticket to efficiency. The sync between my Outlook account and Calendar helps me to be organized and productive, letting me view my to-dos from both my Lumia and desktop. Cortana also absorbs all the info from the Calendar app and reminds me what I have to complete in the near future.
Office
I love this app, which is bundled with Windows phone, because it gives me the opportunity to access all of my files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote), review them, and store them on OneDrive. It’s easy and intuitive.
OneNote
Perfect for taking notes, remarks, and any other useful information during a project. I use it to mark guidelines for every project, so I think it’s very handy.
This is my digital creativity chest. I store all my works here so that I can access them whenever I need, and I don’t have to worry about losing anything. With 15GB of free space (expandable with a monthly or yearly plan), you have plenty of room for your templates, logos, photos and other graphic materials. The app is so simple and useful that it will make you feel safe all the time.
This useful app is handy for projecting my demo .jpg templates to a big screen. I use it in meetings and when discussing projects with clients regarding future graphical additions.
Huge thanks to Andrei for taking the time to share his thoughts with us about why he loves using his Lumia at work! We think he’s onto something with his all of his great tips for optimizing web design work. Be sure to let us know in the comments what you think, and we’d especially love to hear from all of you other web designers out there how you use your Lumia on the job.