Maximizing my productivity while on the go

The productivity that comes with more than one screen

A developer often has to switch between multiple applications. A typical Android application developer, for example, will have a few applications turned on at any point in time. An IDE, the Android Studio, the application that allows the developer to write code; A website that consists of code example or documentation of how to use a particular function; An emulator or plugged Android phone.

A web developer, on the other hand, uses multiple application that is slightly different from an Android application developer. The developer will have a favourite text editor; A web browser showing the web application that is under development; A web browser debugger to debug for any CSS issue or maybe JavaScript issue; A web browser that acts as a documentation to refer for some syntax or even identify what went wrong with the code.

Given such condition, if the developers are given only one small monitor, switching between application may not be a good idea. The focus might be disturbed or loss when the developer switch to a screen that is not what they are supposed to be looking at, Mail, Slack, Whatsapp…

So, having more than a screen can really help. Whether it is about switching between programs, copying and pasting items, dragging and dropping files or comparing two documents or codes. It is going to be more efficient with more than one monitor, the developer often benefit by not losing focus having to perform the task mentioned. I will keep the use of ultra wide monitor in a separate post, personally, I use a curved ultrawide monitor at home, giving me a better productivity but comes at a cost of adaptability.

What kind of app to be placed on each monitor

Being able to stay focus really play an important role in the productivity of a development work. That is also another reason why developers often stay up late to work. Working in the middle of the night often mean that the superior, the client, the kid or anyone that can potentially disturb the focus is not able to distract the focus that is needed. Next, I will be sharing a few combinations that I used for my extra monitor.

When developing as an Android or iOS developer, I often keep my IDE to be on my MacBook Pro while the extra monitor used to display a mockup that I have created previously; The website that allows me to refer to the documentation is kept alongside with the mockup images; There is a third screen, in this case, my Android phone or my iPhone that acts as the development device, being able to see the app compiled and touch on physical screen is a game changer when it comes to User Experience (UX), I tried to use emulator when I was a rookie developer, I ended up with some weird button that is too tiny and hard to be pressed.

Since I am also a full stack web developer, I have a different setup when it comes to web development. I will often have Sublime Text Editor on my main screen while the web application on the extra monitor. The documentation and the debugging browser, on the other hand, sits on my main screen. So, I have to switch between debugger, documentation and the text editor on my main screen.

Being able to use multiple screens really push me into a state of focus, allowing me to quickly get the look and feel of the code I have written and check documentation whenever necessary.

If you have a better way of using the extra screen, kindly share with me in the comment below. I may update the blog post to better address the issue of being a productive developer.

Ability to carry extra screen while leaving the office

If you are still reading this blog post. Most probably you are a developer, a designer or someone that would love to bring your extra monitor out to a coffee shop without the need to plug your monitor into a charging port…

I often think, what I could do to have an extra screen. Initially, before finding this app, I use my iPad to turn on the mockup sent via my email which is considered a not bad idea to keep up with my productivity. But this app really turns my iPad into a useful extra screen to keep up with my ability to code with a minimal distraction of changing between screens while I am travelling.

Introducing Duet, an iPad app that turns your iPad into a second screen when you plug your iPad into your MacBook or a Windows Laptop. Basically giving you the extra screen that you need, despite it might look very small compared to your monitor at home.

Love the idea of touch bar but does not want to spend the extra money to buy a new MacBook Pro or thinking that the extra touchpad could be a bad trade-off for the battery life? Worry not, Duet actually lets you have a touchpad that sits virtually just below your extra screen.

If you happen to have an iPad 9.7 inch or an iPad Pro that supports Apple pencil. Congratulations, this app allows you to treat your iPad like a drawing pad and really draw on your iPad just like how you would with your drawing pad.

I love working while travelling, a coffee shop could provide me with a different atmosphere and bring along my iPad is becoming a norm to boost my productivity while on the go, especially when I am out of town, away from Kuala Lumpur.

I hope you enjoy the sharing that I have put in for this post. I will continue to work on more post about my journey as an entrepreneur, developer, research postgraduate student. Let me know if you have any thoughts or a particular topic that might interest you.