Uses

Everyone always wants to know what sort of technology and gear other developers use - especially other developers! 

The information on this page is not about what is the best or what sort of gear is necessary to be a Shopify Developer, rather, this is gear that I have found to be super helpful or even recommended to me by other merchants and developers.

*some of the items on this page may be affiliate links and it's possible that I may receive a small commission if you use the link.

 

Hardware

Laptop - 2022 Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, Apple M1, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) [link]

This was a huge leap from my previous machine, a 2014 Macbook Pro. A Macbook isn't necessary to be a web developer, I know a lot of amazing devs running Windows or Linux, but in my experience moving from mainly using Windows laptops to a Mac OS machine it was a huge difference.

Microphone - Rode NT-USB USB Condenser Microphone [link]

I was really worried about the quality from a USB microphone but picked this up on a recommendation from another developer and was really impressed.

Keyboard - Keychron K4J2 Mechanical Keyboard [link]

First mechanical keyboard I've owned and a huge fan. Easy to setup with no soldering. Previously used Apple's Wireless Keyboard and worked great for me too, but this mechanical keyboard is a much better experience.

 

Headphones - Bose QuietComfort 45 [link]

These headphones are amazing and by far the most comfortable pair of headphones I've ever owned. I can wear them for hours comfortably but one of my favorite features is the ability to connect to multiple devices at a time. The sound quality, for listening and the microphone, are both stellar.

 

 

Software

Code Editor - Visual Studio Code [link]

VS Code is one of the best source code editors out there for a handful of reasons, but probably one of the biggest is that it is free while featuring tons of functionality. While learning other IDEs (Integrated Development Environment) like VIM can be really helpful for your coding career, VS Code does so much very well and it's the closest thing you can get to an IDE without technically being one.

Terminal - Warp [link]

Warp is a fantastic terminal with a full feature set of options. Think everything you've been missing in a terminal and some things that are "new," like AI (artificial intelligence) enhancements and even the ability to use your mouse in the terminal. 

Video Recording - Screen Studio [link]

Screen Studio is a cool recording tool that I use for quick videos. It has handy zoom animations that follow your mouse and also has a simple editor for when I want to showcase a quick feature. If I'm doing longer tutorial type videos, I like to record with OBS Studio, but Screen Studio is great for social posts or featuring something cool with animations that take no time at all to add.

Screenshots - Clean Shot [link]

For all the things Apple and MacOS do well, screenshots is NOT one of them. I couldn't believe how annoying it was to get something as simple as a screenshot done, or worse, having to make some simple edits. Clean Shot is the best screenshot tool I've ever used and 100% worth the money.

Screen Blur Tool - Blur Web [link]

If you want to blur out part of your screen while you're on a call or a recording, this tool helps obscure selected text, inputs, or parts of your screen that you can apply while you're recording or on the call. This is nice because you can apply this off screen and then move into view as needed and it stays present during the call or recording. Really helpful if trying to avoid sharing specific client information, API keys, or whatever while getting support or recording for others.

Forms - Tally [link]

Shopify Forms or custom building them in Liquid is my usual go-to, but on occasion I need to have forms submitted with attachments or possibly have the form go to specific people (in Shopify, Liquid Contact forms go to the sender designated in settings). My favorite solution then has become Tally. It is super easy to drop in practically anywhere, has a simple builder for developers and merchants alike, and you can create teams with their pro plan so I have multiple clients using it with forms set up as needed.

Everything Else - Raycast Pro [link]

Raycast is an open source tool with loads of extensions available. Think Alfred, but on steroids and open source. Adding Pro gives you a handful of other cool features, but my favorite is the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) libraries. You can use multiple models, not just ChatGPT but Llama and Claude as well. This helper tool has been replacing loads of other apps for me and the use of AI helped me get rid of some paid apps/subscriptions as well. 

 

Assets

Icons - Noun Project [link]

It is always difficult to find good, quality icons. The Noun Project is my favorite go-to site for this. I can almost always find what I need and it is really easy to grab an SVG or PNG. This is great for introducing clean and well-designed icons to a website that helps further distance the look and feel of a stock Shopify theme.