After a few weeks of having the iPad, I came up with a loose schedule for how and when to use it. Earlier, it had served as quasi-eye-candy: I spent time exploring the broadness of possibilities and apps. I balanced that with a touch of UX analysis.

And, then, I got into one particular iPad productivity app. Omni Group’s OmniFocus for iPad marked the turning point. The interaction design reflects a sound approach of planning in the vocabulary of the platform, if you will (a lá LukeW’s “Mobile First”). At this point, I realized I had a reliable set of tools that didn’t interfere with the work/consume habits I’ve developed when using a laptop.

Here’s the rough plan I came up with for using the iPad:

#1 Use: An always-visible productivity toolkit while I’m working on the MacBook Pro.
The results:
I can stay in place on the MBP while keeping what I need to reference or to do secondarily on the iPad.
The Apps:
- OmniFocus for iPad, managing to-dos and projects;
- Mail for iPad, keeping up with project-related emails;
- DropBox for iPad, sharing and accessing project files;
- Evernote for iPad, taking and reading notes;
- MindMeister for iPad, mind mapping IA, project plans;

#2 Use: A multi-purpose tool while I’m at home and not working on something or playing.
The results:
I can quickly switch between productivity & planning, reading, drafting work ideas, researching, or shopping.
The Apps:
- Productivity at home splits between OmniFocus, Mail, and Evernote. Additionally, I use Safari for web apps like Harvest or Mint, since personal and family productivity includes managing our finances.
- Planning and drafting work ideas when not focusing on work means I’m sometimes simply using the iPad as a tablet upon which I stabilize a notebook so I can write, sketch, and brainstorm on paper. (When can I get Balsamiq for iPad?!) I seem to use MindMeister in any platform much less ever since they put that folder-based dashboard on the web interface. I do use OmniFocus, Evernote, and Mail at home.
- Reading apps are typically not the ones I used on the iPhone, mostly because the iPad news apps aren’t as high-quality as the iPhone versions. I tend to use Safari when reading on the iPad because the browser size is fine for most non-optimized sites. Also, because many sites I view do optimize for iPad. Note: There’s just as much strategic skill in knowing when and how to optimize a website, and not to force something into an app.
- Researching might be something light, like Maps for directions, or something more involved like looking for instructions for a home maintenance project.
- Shopping on the iPad is a nascent activity for me: I’m ok navigating a NYTimes.com, but I’m not interested in the agony of the typical B2C or B2B site.
When I look for a prototype for shopping on the iPad, the one and only is Ebay’s AIR app for desktop that came out a couple of years ago. What a coincidence that LukeW worked on that, huh? And, I remember how people used to look at it with a blank stare. It wasn’t immediately clear to most the value or potential of the interface dynamics the Ebay team had established in their AIR app.

A careful eye for what I’m not using much on the iPad:
- The NYTimes app situation reflects a broken or weak strategy. I presume it’s not about follow-through, since they managed to launch the iPad-specific app that is clearly differentiated from the iPhone app. Given how they’ve adapted for the better in many respects of product and UX strategy, I expect something better will be here soon.
- Twitter apps in general, and Tweetdeck specifically. It’s worth noting I don’t use Twitter much these days.
- OmniGraffle for iPad, Keynote, Pages, and Numbers. These tools are hobbled – if not useless – without the ability to leverage the templates I rely on when using these tools on the desktop. This might sound like I’m asking them to break the rules of planning for the platform, but the templates are neither simple accelerators nor crutches for newbies. In fact, templates are the foundation of applying those awesome tools to your purpose and craft.