ith an ever-growing supply of mobile apps, it takes a lot to stand out from the crowd—both in functionality and design. With that in mind, we sloshed through app stores to handpick 29 beautiful mobile apps that designers and design enthusiasts will love.
We’ve organized this article into seven sections, so you can easily find the mobile app that fits your needs best. It’s time to turn your phone into your own little robotic personal assistant! Let’s begin.
1. Planning apps
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Download these mobile apps if you need help planning your day, your week, your year or your design life.
Rise
App
What is it? Rise is a gorgeous, minimally designed alarm clock to get your creative day started. Use it as a digital clock, customize alarm sounds and create a “SleepTunes” playlist to drift off to sleep with.
Price: $1.99
Download: iOS
Evernote
evernote app
What is it? Evernote is a personal planning app that allows you to create to-do lists, snap photo reminders, clip online articles and share your projects seamlessly across all your devices.
Price: Free (Basic plan)
Download: iOS, Google Play
TeuxDeux
app
What is it? TeuxDeux helps you keep a simple day-to-day list of your design and personal tasks.
Price: Free
Download: iOS
Google Keep
app
What is it? Google Keep is a to-do list on steroids. Keep all of your ideas, notes, photos and lists in the same colorful place. The mobile app lets you sync across all devices and also offers a Chrome extension, so you always have your reminders close at hand.
Price: Free
Download: iOS, Android
Mint
app
What is it? Mint lets you keep an eye on your earnings in a fully visual way. Set up budgets, see the breakdown in where you spend your money and receive recommendations on how to save more money.
Price: Free
Download: iOS, Android
2. Curation apps
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Looking for a way to stay more organized? These mobile apps will help you keep interesting online content organized and accessible.
Feedly
app
What is it? Feedly is an RSS feeder, but much prettier and more organized than most. You can easily organize the content that interests you, comment and integrate it with other apps including Evernote, Slack and Trello.
Price: Free
Download: iOS and Android
Kuvva
app
What is it? Kuvva offers a huge selection of inspiring iPhone and desktop backdrops, curated from great designers around the world.
Price: $1.99
Download: iOS
app
What is it? Flipboard lets you create your own “magazine” out of the images and stories that inspire you most from around the web.
Price: Free
Download: iOS and Android
Press
press android app
What is it? Press is Android’s beautification of GoogleReader — another RSS aggregator.
Price: $2.99
Download: Android
3. Creative & experimental apps
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Everyone needs time away from the daily grind. These inspiring mobile apps let you make your own experimental artwork.
Visualator
app
What is it? Visualator is Computer Art’s dedication to the collage. Create vibrant abstractions out of colors, shapes and patterns.
Price: Free
Download: iOS
Bloom
bloom by brian eno
What is it? Created by Brian Eno and software designer Peter Chilvers, Bloom plays with sound and generative art to allow the user to create limitless patterns and compositions that evolve when left idle.
Price: $3.99
Download: iOS
SKTCH
app
What is it? Who said digital sketching has to be all brush-based? Not the creators of SKTCH, who created a generative drawing tool using presets made by a global network of digital artists.
Price: $1.99
Download: iOS
asdfbmp
app
What is it? asdfbmp is a pixel art generator based on the retro bitmap style.
Price: $1.99
Download: iOS
4. Design games
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The best way to learn is to do it in an entertaining way. Challenge yourself with these design-centric learning games!
The Font Game
app
What is it? The Font Game tests your font knowledge by having you identify 30 fonts while shooting for a high score.
Price: $1.99
Download: iOS
eBoy FixPix
app
What is it? Puzzle together eBoy FixPix’s intricate digital art pieces by tilting our phone and finding the right angle.
Price: $0.99
Download: iOS
EYE vs EYE
app
What is it? EYE vs EYE lets you compete against another user to see who can precisely match a color the most accurately and quickly, using only RGB sliders.
Price: $0.99
Download: iOS
PRESS CHECK
presscheck
What is it? Press Check is a game inspired by print plate alignment—going old school in speed and accuracy.
Price: $0.99
Download: iOS
Year Walk
year walk app
What is it? Year Walk is a haunting and beautifully illustrated first-person video game, based on Swedish folklore.
Price: $3.99
Download: iOS
5. Typography apps
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Typography can be a difficult skill to learn, but there are plenty of mobile apps offering learning tools and reference guides to help you through it.
The Typography Manual
app
What is it? The Typography Manual offers all the details you need to know about your favorite fonts.
Price: $3.99
Download: iOS
Fontbook
app
What is it? According to their website, Fontbook is the “world’s most comprehensive typographic reference tool,” where you can browse through over 37,000 typefaces.
Price: $0.99
Download: iOS
Quick
Quick app
What is it? Quick lets you layer creative typography over your photography.
Price: Free
Download: iOS, Android
6. Photography apps
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Capturing images from the world around you can be one of the easiest ways to find inspiration for your design work. Here’s some photography mobile apps to make your next shot even better.
Luminance
app
What is it? Luminance is an easy to use on-the-go photo editing tool.
Price: Free
Download: iOS
Color Thief
app
What is it? Color Thief lets you steal the dominant colors from 1 image and infuse them into another.
Price: $1.99
Download: iOS
Adobe Photoshop Express
photoshop express
What is it? Photoshop Express lets you edit photos on the fly. Edit color, add filters, remove blemishes, and more.
Price: Free
Download: iOS, Android
Shutterstock
app
What is it? Access Shutterstock’s library of images from your mobile device.
Price: Free
Download: iOS
7. Social sharing apps
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Don’t keep all of your creative projects to yourself… share your brilliance with your friends, clients and coworkers.
Pushbullet
pushbullet app
What is it? Need a way to easily share files? Pushbullet syncs between your browser and devices to easily send links, files and messages to friends and your devices all at once.
Price: Free
Download: iOS and Android
Cinamatic
cinamatic app
What is it? Cinamatic lets you create short films, apply retro filters and easily share to Instagram, Vine and Facebook.
Price:$1.99
Download: iOS
Static
app
What is it? Measure your social media effectiveness with Static.
Price: $1.99
Download: iOS
Path
app
What is it? Path is a social networking app that allows you to share information 1-to-1, or post to all of your social media outlets at once.
Price: Free
Download: iOS
Share your favorite mobile apps in the comments!
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