sugarenia.com

I’ve put this off for so long!

I was thinking, nah. I don’t need yet another productivity tool. I’m happy with my setup as it is. Why would I install a Firefox extension? I keep my inbox mostly empty anyway. Erm… erm…

Well, truth is, I needed it. Bad. And as times get busier, I need it (and use it) more.

What’s GTDInbox, you ask? A simple Firefox extension, NOT. It’s an over-bloated piece of productivity pr0n that will transform your GMail inbox from an arid desert to a place David Allen would call home.

I don’t use all of its numerous features. But these things made me install it at home and at work:

• The ability to easily compose a personal e-mail, as a means to add a task / reminder for yourself, right there in your inbox. I used to do that all the time, but I don’t anymore because I use less mundane stuff to take care of my todos and reminders. But still, it’s great functionality.
• One-click mark as finished / archive of an e-mail. Enough said. I used to click, select relevant label from labels menu, then press ‘Archive’. Hardly a fun way to get done with tasks e-mails.
• The ability to pre-label e-mails, before sending them. So useful.
• When you mark e-mails as pending or as action, they don’t have to be marked as unread to have their count shown next to their status label. Essential.
• It made me transform my GMail inbox from an empty, normal inbox to what it needs to be nowadays: a work dashboard. It helps my keep my inbox to zero (not a difficult task, I assure you) and it keeps me from forgetting stuff and adding everywhere those ambiguous stars.

So GTDInbox it is. Even if I don’t use like, 70% of its features.

I really like the redesign of MaxVoltar.com.

It’s your typical typography-based website, but it’s done oh so well. I love how good typography-based sites draw images with characters and ornaments, and the new MaxVoltar.com design does this perfectly.

Eventhough I sometimes find minimal, typo sites a bit harsh on the eye (sad but true), this one’s a winner. Kudos, mr. Tim Van Damme!

I don’t know a better way to start a week than a list of inspiring links.

Do you?

• These storyboard notepads from Konigi may be the best way to scribble down your web application interactions steps on paper – they’re currently sold out though, so give them love power and urge them to make more.
• 3point7designs swears by spatial awareness while designing – it got me thinking and I’ll surely incorporate this tip in my design process in the future.
• HappyCog launched their latest work, Housing Works, during the last week -  warm tones, attention to typography and oh-so-impressive photography made me add this design to my “Design Inspiration” folder.
• Mr. Lars Willem Veldkampf plays with typefaces and taglines in his Typocalypse project, hilarious.
• The new Wordpress 2.7 dashboard comps are out and I must say, they look better than expected, eventhough they suffer from Georgia-itis.
• A new, pretty pretty pretty iPhone app is making the rounds this week – Classics. The usual suspects Andrew Kaz and Philip Ryu are behind it and I must say, it looks retro-licious. Me waits anxiously for launch.

Have an inspiring week everyone!