/uses
The things we use. For those interested in that kind of thing.
Desktop apps
An online database tool – much organisation and planning is done in this.
Searches your computer with a few keystrokes – no more endless clicking.
How Johnny makes the boxes and arrows to explain things in lessons.
How Johnny made our course map.
This is where we type words – a simple text editor that also works with Markdown.
Design
A nice lady who does easy-to-follow, colourful Procreate tutorials.
Drawings are done with an Apple Pencil (2nd generation) that wears a Pen Tip for extra grip.
Images are created with Procreate (made in Tasmania!), on an iPad Air (4th generation).
Project organisation
A decimalised numbering system Johnny invented to organise files. When used in combination with Alfred, we can find any file instantly.
Recording and editing
An AI-based web service for video audio levelling.
This turns an iPhone into a webcam to record our talking heads in lessons. The footage is sucked directly into ScreenFlow.
Videos are recorded and edited in this.
Cameras and lighting
They light up our dark office during recording.
We had these because we used to do a podcast. They’re lovely.
We used to have the mics on stands on the desk, but these are way better.
Security, back up, and storage
There's a whole back-up server and VPN situation. But our newest office friend is the Synology DiskStation DS118 with a Seagate 8TB IronWolf drive.
We also use:
Desk setup
Office desks are never big enough and they cost heaps. We copied the prototype that Lucy’s dad, Bob, made – two wooden doors sitting on IKEA office drawers and cabinets. The doors are heavy so it’s stable. Our cabling is neatly organised with power boards attached to the undersides. And when you move house, just lift the doors off.
Johnny has tried and rejected numerous over-priced, ugly desk chairs. So he bought a standard chair-shaped chair from IKEA – turns out it works fine. Lucy's desk chair is ergonomically inappropriate and best left unmentioned.
Other things we couldn’t do this without
Lucy’s spider cup, by David Thorne.
Yeti mugs.
And of course, Excel – but Microsoft doesn’t need the publicity.
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