Can Designers Really Work Using a Tablet PC?

Since the introduction of tablet PCs to the market, people are getting more and more convinced that this small device can help them out with a lot of things, even with their work. You see a lot of people willing to exchange cash for iPads for a variety of reasons. Some of them can be shallow and claim having a tablet PC will make them part of the “in crowd.” For others, they claim tablet PCs are a huge help with their profession. Even app developers have made apps that are productive in nature, with the aim of letting working people like designers be able to do their jobs wherever they are.

Recently, app developing firm, Quark released an app called the DesignPad, aimed to help designers in their work. This free app is supposed to help designers try and execute different layouts via multi-touch gestures, which is exactly the way the iPad works. There are pre-defined layouts already installed with the app. However, the beauty of this app is that these defined layouts can be customized. Layouts include designs for ads, posters, newsletters and brochures. Graphic and font artists are the main audience of this app.

So, is this app worth exchanging cash for iPad? The DesignPad is a valuable teaching aid because its users get hands-on experience from the conceptualization of a design to choosing the right photos and doing the layouts. For beginners, the pre-defined layouts make it easier for them to work, but for those who are already experienced designers, the fully customizable option of the layouts gives them the artistic freedom they need to have. The app has slider controls that can adjust columns, rows, and picture sizes in the layouts. The designer can also customize fonts, colors and positions in the layouts. The great thing about the app is that you can also edit the design made in the app with the PC version of it.

Having a tablet PC can be useful for designers because they can easily record their ideas when inspiration strikes. A tablet PC is like having a digital pen and paper that can record whatever ideas they have for initial design, which can later develop into full blown concepts. Other companies like Adobe have made app versions of their successful programs. Adobe Photoshop, a program that has become synonymous to retouched pictures, now has an app equivalent, the Adobe Photoshop Touch ($9.99). The company has also released a digital sketch board for artists, Adobe Ideas. Other design apps that have become popular include the following:

· TouchDraw ($8.99), a vector drawing app

· Palettes Pro ($5.99), a color scheme creating app 

· Fontbook ($5.99), a must for typography enthusiasts 

· LiveView (free), an app that simulates the dimensions of a laptop or PC screen so designs would fit perfectly, and not look restricted to mobile devices 

Inspiration can strike anywhere, so having a tablet PC that would operate easily is indeed helpful. Creative types can make their design on the tablet PC then save their work for future use. This will convince designers that it is time to sell your old iPads.