Tools We Use as a Creative Agency

This is the heart of our creative output, where ideas take visual form. These tools are the digital canvases and editing suites our team uses to design, animate, and produce compelling content.

• Adobe Creative Suite: This industry-standard collection of applications is non-negotiable for any serious creative work. We primarily use Photoshop for image editing, Illustrator for vector graphics and logos, InDesign for layout, Premiere Pro for video editing, and After Effects for motion graphics. Its power lies in its depth of features and seamless integration between apps, allowing for complex, multi-format projects.
• Figma: A collaborative, browser-based interface design tool. We leverage Figma for UI/UX design, encompassing wireframing, prototyping, and the creation of final high-fidelity website and application mockups. We also utilize Figma for various design tasks previously handled by Illustrator. Its real-time collaboration capabilities are invaluable, facilitating seamless cooperation among designers, developers, and clients within a unified environment.
• Sketch: A veteran vector graphics editor focused on digital design. While Figma is our primary for UI/UX, we still utilize Sketch for specific projects, especially when collaborating with partners who prefer its ecosystem. Its clean interface and robust plugin library make it a powerful tool for screen design.

Artificial intelligence has become a powerful co-pilot in our creative process. These AI creative tools for agencies help us accelerate ideation, generate content, and uncover insights, allowing our team to focus on high-level strategy and execution.

• Jasper: An AI writing and marketing assistant. We use Jasper to overcome writer's block and accelerate content creation for blogs, social media, and ad copy. It helps generate initial drafts, brainstorm headlines, and rephrase content. While all output is heavily edited and refined, it is one of the best AI tools for creatives looking to boost efficiency. Jasper also prioritizes security, ensuring your data is protected through encryption and compliance with industry-standard privacy measures, so you can confidently create without worrying about sensitive information being compromised.
• Perplexity: We leverage Perplexity to conduct comprehensive research, synthesize intricate information, and gather nuanced insights crucial for our creative endeavors. It supports our team in exploring multifaceted topics, validating data, and generating well-informed perspectives, making it an essential component of our strategic and analytical toolkit.
• Claude: We utilize Claude for conducting non-brand-specific queries and research, leveraging its capabilities to gather broad information and insights.
• Mid-Journey: Mid-Journey is our chosen tool for advanced image generation. Its sophisticated algorithms allow us to produce high-quality, conceptual visuals that align precisely with our creative briefs, offering unparalleled flexibility and artistic control in bringing complex ideas to life.

Efficiency and organization are critical. These tools form the operational backbone of our agency, ensuring projects run smoothly, on time, and within budget.

• Monday.com: Our central project management hub. We use monday.com to manage every aspect of our client projects, from initial scoping to final delivery. Its customizable boards, automations, and dashboards give us a clear, real-time view of project status, team workloads, and potential bottlenecks. It is the single source of truth for all active work.
• PandaDoc: A tool for creating, sending, and tracking documents. We rely on PandaDoc for all our client-facing documents, including proposals, contracts, and quotes. It streamlines the creation process with templates and provides valuable insights by notifying us when a document is opened, viewed, and signed.
• Intuit QuickBooks: The accounting software for our business. QuickBooks handles all our financial management, from invoicing and expense tracking to payroll and financial reporting. It ensures our agency's finances are organized, accurate, and compliant.

Clear, immediate communication is vital for both our internal team and client relationships. This set of tools keeps everyone connected and on the same page.

• Slack: Our virtual office for internal communication. Slack is where our team collaborates throughout the day. We use it for real-time conversations, file sharing, and quick check-ins, organized by channels for specific projects and topics. It dramatically reduces internal email clutter.
• Zoom: Our go-to platform for video conferencing. We use Zoom for all internal team meetings, client calls, and virtual presentations. Its reliability and screen-sharing capabilities are essential for clear communication and effective remote collaboration.
• Google Workspace: We use Gmail for client email, Google Calendar for scheduling, and Google Docs/Sheets/Slides for collaborative document creation. Its real-time co-editing is a major asset.
• Miro: An online collaborative whiteboard. Miro is our digital space for brainstorming, mind mapping, and strategy sessions. It allows our team to collaborate visually in real time, regardless of physical location, making it perfect for workshops and creative ideation.
• Vimeo: A professional video hosting and sharing platform. All our video work is hosted on Vimeo. It offers superior quality, advanced privacy controls, and detailed analytics compared to other platforms. It ensures our video content is presented professionally without ads or distractions.
• Frame.io: A video review and collaboration platform. An indispensable tool for our video production workflow, Frame.io allows clients and team members to leave time-stamped comments and annotations directly on video files. This eliminates confusing email chains and streamlines the feedback process, saving immense amounts of time.

Protecting our work and our clients' assets is a top priority. These tools provide secure and accessible storage for all our digital files.

• Google Drive: We use Google Drive for active project files and collaborative documents. Its integration with Google Workspace makes it easy to create, share, and manage files across the team.
• Dropbox: Another key cloud storage service. We use Dropbox for long-term archiving and for sharing large files with clients and external partners. Its robust desktop sync and reliability make it a trusted solution for file management.
• LastPass: A secure password manager. LastPass stores all our login credentials for the dozens of services we use. It enforces strong password policies and allows for secure sharing of logins among team members, which is critical for both security and operational efficiency.

Building and optimizing digital experiences requires data. These tools help us measure performance and improve our clients' online presence.

• Google Analytics: The standard for web analytics. We install Google Analytics on every website we build to track traffic, user behavior, and conversion goals. The data it provides is fundamental to making informed marketing decisions.
• Semrush: An all-in-one digital marketing toolkit. We use Semrush for keyword research, competitor analysis, site audits, and rank tracking. It gives us a comprehensive view of a website's SEO health and helps us identify opportunities for growth.
• Surfer: An SEO content optimization tool. Surfer analyzes top-ranking pages for a target keyword and provides data-driven recommendations for creating content that will perform well. We use it to guide our blog post and landing page creation, ensuring our content is structured for search engine success. Its AI-driven insights help us compete effectively.
• Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio): A data visualization tool. We connect Looker Studio to Google Analytics, Semrush, and other data sources to create custom, interactive dashboards for our clients. It transforms raw data into easy-to-understand reports that clearly show campaign performance.

This is the technical side of our web projects, covering everything from development environments to the infrastructure that keeps sites live and secure.

• Digital Ocean: Our preferred cloud hosting provider for custom websites and applications. Digital Ocean offers robust, scalable infrastructure that delivers high performance and reliability. We leverage its flexible virtual servers (Droplets) and comprehensive suite of developer tools to build and deploy bespoke solutions, ensuring optimal speed, security, and control for complex projects.
• CloudFlare: We integrate CloudFlare as a crucial web infrastructure and security provider to enhance the performance and resilience of our deployed projects. Its robust Content Delivery Network (CDN) accelerates global load times by strategically caching content, ensuring optimal user experience. Furthermore, CloudFlare's advanced security features provide formidable protection against cyber threats.
• Bitbucket: A Git-based code hosting and collaboration tool. Our development team uses Bitbucket for version control. It allows us to manage code, review changes, and collaborate on complex development projects in a structured and secure environment.
• Namecheap: Our preferred domain registrar. We use Namecheap to purchase and manage all our domain names due to its straightforward interface and competitive pricing.
• BugHerd: A visual feedback and bug tracking tool for websites. BugHerd acts like a sticky note layer on top of a live or staging website, allowing clients to point, click, and report issues directly. This is essential for our web design projects, as it captures feedback visually and funnels it into a manageable task board for our developers.
• CraftCMS: A flexible and user-friendly content management system, CraftCMS is our top choice for building custom, scalable websites. Known for its intuitive interface and powerful tools, it allows developers to create tailored digital experiences while giving content managers full control over updates.

Even the most creative teams need access to high-quality stock resources to supplement custom work and accelerate project timelines. These are just a few of our favorites:

• Unsplash: A vast library of high-quality, royalty-free photographs. We use Unsplash for its artistic and authentic imagery, which is ideal for projects that require a more natural, less-staged feel. The royalty-free license makes it a valuable resource for a wide range of creative applications without complex licensing concerns.
• iStock: A source for high-quality stock photos, vectors, and videos. We use iStock when we need premium, curated imagery that aligns with a specific brand aesthetic.
• Noun Project: A massive library of icons. The Noun Project is our go-to for finding icons for nearly any purpose. Its vast and diverse collection is essential for UI design, presentations, and infographics.
• Envato Elements: An unlimited subscription service for creative assets. Envato Elements provides immense value with its massive library of stock photos, graphics, video templates, music, and fonts. It is an essential resource for filling a wide range of creative needs quickly.

Efficiently managing our time is key to work-life balance. These tools help us schedule meetings seamlessly and track our work accurately.

• Calendly: Calendly eliminates the back-and-forth of scheduling meetings. We use it to allow clients and prospects to book time with us directly based on our availability.
• CalendarBridge: A calendar syncing tool. CalendarBridge syncs all our calendars (Google and Outlook) in real-time, preventing double bookings and ensuring our availability in Calendly is always accurate.
• Toggl Track: A simple time-tracking tool. We use Toggl Track to monitor the time spent on different projects and tasks. This data is crucial for ensuring project profitability, improving future estimates, and managing team capacity.